Science news

• Beavers are dam important for the ecosystem

  18-05-2017 23:34 via cbc.ca
  
  Beavers have always been natural engineers of their world, and now scientists are discovering how to use the beaver’s skills to help restore important freshwater habitat.
  
  Read more

• Farting, peeing dinosaurs come to the Manitoba Museum

  18-05-2017 21:53 via cbc.ca
  
  Call it a different kind of greenhouse gas — dinosaur flatulence is on full display at a new exhibit at the Manitoba Museum.
  
  Read more

• Monkeys Have a Specialized Brain Network for Sizing Up Others' Actions

  18-05-2017 20:35 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Neural circuitry lets macaques figure out what's going on in social interactions  
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Hybrid protein offers malaria protection

  18-05-2017 20:19
  
  Rare hybrid protein that spans red blood cell membranes offers some protection against malaria.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Three-dimensional Ca2+ imaging advances understanding of astrocyte biology

  18-05-2017 19:28
  Astrocyte communication is typically studied by two-dimensional calcium ion (Ca2+) imaging, but this method has not yielded conclusive data on the role of astrocytes in synaptic and vascular function. We developed a three-dimensional two-photon imaging approach and studied Ca2+ dynamics in entire astrocyte volumes, including during axon-astrocyte interactions. In both awake mice and brain slices, we found that Ca2+ activity in an individual astrocyte is scattered throughout the cell, largely com
  
  Read more

• Lineage-dependent spatial and functional organization of the mammalian enteric nervous system

  18-05-2017 19:28
  The enteric nervous system (ENS) is essential for digestive function and gut homeostasis. Here we show that the amorphous neuroglia networks of the mouse ENS are composed of overlapping clonal units founded by postmigratory neural crest–derived progenitors. The spatial configuration of ENS clones depends on proliferation-driven local interactions of ENS progenitors with lineally unrelated neuroectodermal cells, the ordered colonization of the serosa-mucosa axis by clonal descendants, and g
  
  Read more

• Hydrolytically stable fluorinated metal-organic frameworks for energy-efficient dehydration

  18-05-2017 19:28
  Natural gas must be dehydrated before it can be transported and used, but conventional drying agents such as activated alumina or inorganic molecular sieves require an energy-intensive desiccant-regeneration step. We report a hydrolytically stable fluorinated metal-organic framework, AlFFIVE-1-Ni (KAUST-8), with a periodic array of open metal coordination sites and fluorine moieties within the contracted square-shaped one-dimensional channel. This material selectively removed water vapor from ga
  
  Read more

• Higher predation risk for insect prey at low latitudes and elevations

  18-05-2017 19:28
  Biotic interactions underlie ecosystem structure and function, but predicting interaction outcomes is difficult. We tested the hypothesis that biotic interaction strength increases toward the equator, using a global experiment with model caterpillars to measure predation risk. Across an 11,660-kilometer latitudinal gradient spanning six continents, we found increasing predation toward the equator, with a parallel pattern of increasing predation toward lower elevations. Patterns across both latit
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• High-harmonic generation in graphene enhanced by elliptically polarized light excitation

  18-05-2017 19:28
  The electronic properties of graphene can give rise to a range of nonlinear optical responses. One of the most desirable nonlinear optical processes is high-harmonic generation (HHG) originating from coherent electron motion induced by an intense light field. Here, we report on the observation of up to ninth-order harmonics in graphene excited by mid-infrared laser pulses at room temperature. The HHG in graphene is enhanced by an elliptically polarized laser excitation, and the resultant harmoni
  
  Read more

• Global drainage patterns and the origins of topographic relief on Earth, Mars, and Titan

  18-05-2017 19:28
  Rivers have eroded the topography of Mars, Titan, and Earth, creating diverse landscapes. However, the dominant processes that generated topography on Titan (and to some extent on early Mars) are not well known. We analyzed drainage patterns on all three bodies and found that large drainages, which record interactions between deformation and erosional modification, conform much better to long-wavelength topography on Titan and Mars than on Earth. We use a numerical landscape evolution model to d
  
  Read more

• Ephrin B1-mediated repulsion and signaling control germinal center T cell territoriality and function

  18-05-2017 19:28
  Follicular T helper (TFH) cells orchestrate the germinal center (GC) reaction locally. Local mechanisms regulating their dynamics and helper functions are not well defined. Here we found that GC-expressed ephrin B1 (EFNB1) repulsively inhibited T cell to B cell adhesion and GC TFH retention by signaling through TFH-expressed EPHB6 receptor. At the same time, EFNB1 promoted interleukin-21 production from GC TFH cells by signaling predominantly through EPHB4. Consequently, EFNB1-null GCs were asso
  
  Read more

• Bragg coherent diffractive imaging of single-grain defect dynamics in polycrystalline films

  18-05-2017 19:28
  Polycrystalline material properties depend on the distribution and interactions of their crystalline grains. In particular, grain boundaries and defects are crucial in determining their response to external stimuli. A long-standing challenge is thus to observe individual grains, defects, and strain dynamics inside functional materials. Here we report a technique capable of revealing grain heterogeneity, including strain fields and individual dislocations, that can be used under operando conditio
  
  Read more

• Blocking promiscuous activation at cryptic promoters directs cell type-specific gene expression

  18-05-2017 19:28
  To selectively express cell type–specific transcripts during development, it is critical to maintain genes required for other lineages in a silent state. Here, we show in the Drosophila male germline stem cell lineage that a spermatocyte-specific zinc finger protein, Kumgang (Kmg), working with the chromatin remodeler dMi-2 prevents transcription of genes normally expressed only in somatic lineages. By blocking transcription from normally cryptic promoters, Kmg restricts activation by Aly,
  
  Read more

• ATP as a biological hydrotrope

  18-05-2017 19:28
  Hydrotropes are small molecules that solubilize hydrophobic molecules in aqueous solutions. Typically, hydrotropes are amphiphilic molecules and differ from classical surfactants in that they have low cooperativity of aggregation and work at molar concentrations. Here, we show that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has properties of a biological hydrotrope. It can both prevent the formation of and dissolve previously formed protein aggregates. This chemical property is manifested at physiological con
  
  Read more

• A placental growth factor is silenced in mouse embryos by the zinc finger protein ZFP568

  18-05-2017 19:28
  Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is the major fetal growth hormone in mammals. We identify zinc finger protein 568 (ZFP568), a member of the rapidly evolving Kruppel-associated box–zinc finger protein (KRAB-ZFP) family linked primarily to silencing of endogenous retroelements, as a direct repressor of a placental-specific Igf2 transcript (designated Igf2-P0) in mice. Loss of Zfp568, which causes gastrulation failure, or mutation of the ZFP568-binding site at the Igf2-P0 promoter causes
  
  Read more

• A dedicated network for social interaction processing in the primate brain

  18-05-2017 19:28
  Primate cognition requires interaction processing. Interactions can reveal otherwise hidden properties of intentional agents, such as thoughts and feelings, and of inanimate objects, such as mass and material. Where and how interaction analyses are implemented in the brain is unknown. Using whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging in macaque monkeys, we discovered a network centered in the medial and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex that is exclusively engaged in social interaction analy
  
  Read more

• 21st-century rise in anthropogenic nitrogen deposition on a remote coral reef

  18-05-2017 19:28
  With the rapid rise in pollution-associated nitrogen inputs to the western Pacific, it has been suggested that even the open ocean has been affected. In a coral core from Dongsha Atoll, a remote coral reef ecosystem, we observe a decline in the 15N/14N of coral skeleton–bound organic matter, which signals increased deposition of anthropogenic atmospheric N on the open ocean and its incorporation into plankton and, in turn, the atoll corals. The first clear change occurred just before 2000
  
  Read more

• Reversing climate change with carbon-sucking plantations not realistic, scientists warn

  18-05-2017 18:59 via cbc.ca
  
  A proposal to turn back climate change by planting vast swathes of land with fast-growing trees and plants that can be burned for electricity, with the carbon they release captured and stored, is not “realistic and feasible,” scientists said Thursday.
  
  Read more

• Climate change is making Antarctica greener

  18-05-2017 18:19 via cbc.ca
  
  If there's a colour associated with Antarctica, it's white. But as temperatures rise with climate change, new research shows it's slowly becoming greener.
  
  Read more

• Transplanted stem cells become eggs in sterile mice

  18-05-2017 18:00
  
  Sterile mice that received transplanted egg-making stem cells were able to have healthy babies.
  
  Read more

• Will Tesla's Tiles Finally Give Solar Shingles Their Day in the Sun?

  18-05-2017 17:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Elon Musk bets homeowners will pay a premium for resilient panels that look like an ordinary roof
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Nasa seeks experiment ideas for Europa lander

  18-05-2017 16:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Nasa is seeking the best ideas for experiments to fly on a mission that will land on Jupiter's moon Europa.
  
  Read more

• Heart failure symptoms traced to unusual source

  18-05-2017 16:38 via cbc.ca
  
  Hundreds of thousands of Canadians struggle to survive and take in air because of heart failure. Now scientists have unravelled a new reason why that rewrites medical textbooks.
  
  Read more

• 50 years ago, an Earth-based telescope spotted Saturn’s fourth ring

  18-05-2017 13:00
  
  Scientists now rely on spacecraft to chart the intricate rings of the gas giant.
  
  Read more

• Could Magnetic Brain Stimulation Help People with Alzheimer's?

  18-05-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A technology that uses magnetism to regulate neural activity shows a small benefit in patients with mild forms of the disease 
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Using seaweed to kill invasive ants

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of California - Riverside) Scientists at the University of California, Riverside have developed an inexpensive, biodegradable, seaweed-based ant bait that can help homeowners and farmers control invasive Argentine ant populations.
  
  Read more

• Study finds history of Titan's landscape resembles that of Mars, not Earth

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) In a paper published in Science, researchers report that Titan, like Mars but unlike Earth, has not undergone any active plate tectonics in its recent past. The upheaval of mountains by plate tectonics deflects the paths that rivers take. The team found that this telltale signature was missing from river networks on Mars and Titan.
  
  Read more

• Study: Consumers see much greater risk than reward in online ads

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) The risks far outweigh the benefits for most consumers in their response to personalized online ads, known as online behavioral advertising, suggests a study by University of Illinois advertising professor Chang-Dae Ham. The perception of risk drives consumers to greater privacy concerns and to avoid the advertising. The ad industry may want to reconsider its approach as a result, he said. The study appears in the May issue of the International Journa
  
  Read more

• Sensors detect disease markers in breath

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) A small, thin square of an organic plastic that can detect disease markers in breath or toxins in a building's air could soon be the basis of portable, disposable sensor devices. In a new study in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, professor Ying Diao's research group demonstrated a device that monitors ammonia in breath, a sign of kidney failure.
  
  Read more

• Scientists describe origins of topographic relief on Titan

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (The City University of New York) Fluid erosion has carved river networks in at least three bodies in our solar system in the form of water on Earth and Mars and liquid hydrocarbons on Titan. A new report in Science examines the global drainage patterns of these worlds to shed light on their geologic past.
  
  Read more

• ORNL welcomes Innovation Crossroads entrepreneurial research fellows

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Oak Ridge National Laboratory today welcomed the first cohort of innovators to join Innovation Crossroads, the Southeast region's first entrepreneurial research and development program based at a US Department of Energy national laboratory.
  
  Read more

• NJIT and and Mercer County Community College establish academic partnership

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (New Jersey Institute of Technology) New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark, N.J., and Mercer County Community College (MCCC) in West Windsor Township, N.J., have signed a joint agreement designed to improve student access across the two higher-education institutions.
  
  Read more

• Nearly $8 million awarded to advance engineered metamaterials research

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Penn State) Doug Werner, John L. and Genevieve H. McCain Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering at Penn State, has been awarded nearly $8 million to continue his pioneering work in metamaterials development. The awards come from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the United States Navy and Lockheed Martin.
  
  Read more

• NASA mission uncovers a dance of electrons in space

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) NASA's MMS mission studies how electrons spiral and dive around the planet in a complex dance dictated by the magnetic and electric fields, and a new study revealed a bizarre new type of motion exhibited by these electrons.
  
  Read more

• More data, user customization enhance global fishing watch platform in beta release 2.0

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Global Fishing Watch) Global Fishing Watch is releasing Beta 2.0. The interactive map of the world's commercial fishing activity now allows custom layers, downloadable reports, fishing vessels filtered by country, and public access without registration. This public database and web platform now includes 60,000 fishing vessels representing nearly all of the world's industrial fishing fleet.
  
  Read more

• Hubble spots moon around third largest dwarf planet

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Astronomers uncovered a moon orbiting the third largest dwarf planet, 2007 OR10, in the frigid outskirts of our solar system called the Kuiper Belt.
  
  Read more

• Graphene-nanotube hybrid boosts lithium metal batteries

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Rice University) Rice University scientists build high-capacity lithium metal batteries with anodes made of a graphene-carbon nanotube hybrid. The anodes quench the formation of damaging dendrites.
  
  Read more

• Deciphering the fluid floorplan of a planet

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (American Association for the Advancement of Science) An assessment of ancient drainage systems on Earth, Mars and Titan provides new insights into the topography-generating mechanisms on planetary bodies.
  
  Read more

• Camera-equipped drones preserve framing when shooting video

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) At the International Conference on Robotics and Automation later this month, researchers from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and ETH Zurich will present a system that allows a director to specify a shot's framing -- which figures or faces appear where, at what distance. Then, on the fly, it generates control signals for a camera-equipped autonomous drone, which preserve that framing as the actors move.
  
  Read more

• ALMA eyes icy ring around young planetary system

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (National Radio Astronomy Observatory) ALMA has made the first complete millimeter-wavelength image of the ring of dusty debris surrounding the young star Fomalhaut. This remarkably well-defined band of rubble and gas is likely the result of exocomets smashing together near the outer edges of a planetary system 25 light-years from Earth.
  
  Read more

• 2017 Gruber Foundation Cosmology prize winner announced

  18-05-2017 06:00
  
  (International Astronomical Union) The 2017 Gruber Foundation Cosmology Prize recognizes Sandra Faber for a body of work that has helped establish many of the foundational principles underlying the modern understanding of the Universe on the largest scales.
  
  Read more

• Treasure trove of new plant discoveries revealed

  18-05-2017 03:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Almost 2,000 plants new to science have been identified in the past year, but many are at risk.
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!