Science news

• This summer, go on a hike with friends, even if they're not actually with you

  06-06-2017 22:35 via cbc.ca
  
  The first day of summer is just two weeks away, and that means unplugging from technology and heading out to beaches, barbecues and outdoor activities. Or does it? New Canadian research suggests the next big thing in summertime fun might be video-conferencing.
  
  Read more

• Science Signaling Podcast for 6 June 2017: Calcium signaling and dry mouth

  06-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  AbstractThis Podcast features a conversation with Indu Ambudkar, senior author of a Research Resource that appears in the 6 June 2017 issue of Science Signaling, about how activation of the cation channel TRPM2 is involved in radiation-induced dry mouth. Patients who receive radiation therapy for head and neck cancers often develop dry mouth as a side effect, and this condition is frequently permanent. Radiation does not kill cells in the salivary gland, yet it causes the acinar cells of the gla
  
  Read more

• Radiation inhibits salivary gland function by promoting STIM1 cleavage by caspase-3 and loss of SOCE through a TRPM2-dependent pathway

  06-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is critical for salivary gland fluid secretion. We report that radiation treatment caused persistent salivary gland dysfunction by activating a TRPM2-dependent mitochondrial pathway, leading to caspase-3–mediated cleavage of stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) and loss of SOCE. After irradiation, acinar cells from the submandibular glands of TRPM2+/+, but not those from TRPM2–/– mice, displayed an increase in the concentrations of mitochondri
  
  Read more

• Papers of note in Science Translational Medicine 9 (392)

  06-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s articles describe a new drug conjugate to treat pain, a target for preventing cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease, and a strategy for sensitizing RAS-mutant cancers to PARP inhibitors.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Papers of note in Nature 546 (7656)

  06-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s articles highlight the role of follicle-stimulating hormone in postmenopausal adipose tissue accumulation, the importance of a sphingolipid for T cell survival, and the cryo-EM structure of a G protein–coupled receptor complex.
  
  Read more

• Paper of note in Science 356 (6341)

  06-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s article is about a lipid that stimulates or inhibits mTORC1 signaling depending on where in the cell the lipid is made.
  
  Read more

• IRE1{alpha} promotes viral infection by conferring resistance to apoptosis

  06-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The unfolded protein response (UPR) is an ancient cellular pathway that detects and alleviates protein-folding stresses. The UPR components X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) and inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) promote type I interferon (IFN) responses. We found that Xbp1-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts and macrophages had impaired antiviral resistance. However, this was not because of a defect in type I IFN responses but rather an inability of Xbp1-deficient cells to undergo
  
  Read more

• Intercellular transmission of the unfolded protein response promotes survival and drug resistance in cancer cells

  06-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Increased protein translation in cells and various factors in the tumor microenvironment can induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which initiates the unfolded protein response (UPR). We have previously reported that factors released from cancer cells mounting a UPR induce a de novo UPR in bone marrow–derived myeloid cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells that facilitates protumorigenic characteristics in culture and tumor growth in vivo. We investigated whether this intercellular sig
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Highlight: Understanding radiation sialadenitis

  06-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  A nonapoptotic function of caspase-3 underlies the salivary gland complications of radiation therapy of head and neck cancers.
  
  Read more

• An adenosine receptor for olfaction

  06-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Extracellular processing of ATP in the fish olfactory epithelium produces adenosine that is perceived by olfactory neurons.
  
  Read more

• California and China sign climate deal after Trump pulls U.S. out of Paris accord

  06-06-2017 19:39 via cbc.ca
  
  With President Donald Trump pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord, China and California signed an agreement Tuesday to work together on reducing emissions, as the state's governor warned that "disaster still looms" without urgent action.
  
  Read more

• Choosing white or whole-grain bread may depend on what lives in your gut

  06-06-2017 18:18
  
  Gut microbes determine how people’s blood sugar levels respond to breads.
  
  Read more

• Behind Apple's magical future, a vision built on borrowed ideas

  06-06-2017 17:57 via cbc.ca
  
  From its HomePod speaker to augmented reality, like so many of Apple's new ideas, someone else thought of them first. It's just that Apple believes it can make them better.
  
  Read more

• Stunning Photos of Earth from the International Space Station

  06-06-2017 14:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Astronaut Tim Peake captures images of volcanoes, cities, glaciers and aurora from 249 miles up
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Scientists hope to show humankind originated in Mediterranean

  06-06-2017 13:57
  
  CHIRPAN, Bulgaria (Reuters) - A team of excavators in Bulgaria has resumed a search for fossils of an ape-like creature which may be the oldest-known direct ancestor of man and whose discovery has challenged the central hypothesis that humankind originated in Africa.
  
  Read more

• 'It's the future': Small prairie village pins economic fortunes on drones

  06-06-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  The drone flying range is still in its infancy, but much is at stake for the small Alberta village of Foremost, since it could bring much-needed jobs and create a special opportunity for the farming community.
  
  Read more

• Planet is 'hotter than most stars'

  06-06-2017 10:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists spend decades hunting Earth's twin only to turn up the most inhospitable world imaginable.
  
  Read more

• What makes a movement feel strenuous?

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (PLOS) Scientists have determined which characteristics of an arm movement influence the subjective effort associated with this movement. In a study publishing on June 6 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology they found that duration, biomechanics and force had an influence on the effort, while movement amplitudes had no effect. Their results shed light on a postulated link between two important functions of the brain: optimizing action selection in decision-making and in movement execution.
  
  Read more

• Variable speed limits could reduce crashes, ease congestion in highway work zones

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Missouri-Columbia) As the summer months approach, most people turn to thoughts of sunshine, outdoor barbecues and destination trips. Yet travelers often are greeted by detours, lane closures and delays for road repairs that generally are reserved for warmer weather. Researchers at the University of Missouri have studied systems to alleviate inevitable backups and delays. Researchers found that using variable speed limits in construction zones may ease congestion, reduce crashes an
  
  Read more

• TSRI anti-heroin vaccine found effective in non-human primates

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Scripps Research Institute) This is the first vaccine against an opioid to pass this stage of preclinical testing.
  
  Read more

• Study proves viability of quantum satellite communications

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (IOP Publishing) Researchers in Canada have taken a significant step towards enabling secure quantum communication via moving satellites, as announced by the Canadian Government in April 2017. Their study, published today in the new journal Quantum Science and Technology, demonstrates the first quantum key distribution transmissions from a ground transmitter to a quantum payload on a moving aircraft.
  
  Read more

• Study could help explain link between seizures and psychiatric disorders

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Gladstone Institutes) In a new study published in Cell Reports, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes identified different types of neurons in a brain region called the reticular thalamus. A better understanding of these cells could eventually help explain how both seizures and certain psychiatric disorders can occur at the same time.
  
  Read more

• Stem cells may be the key to staying strong in old age

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Rochester Medical Center) A new URMC study, performed in mice, could lead to new approaches to help people stay stronger in old age. The study challenges conventional wisdom with results suggesting that loss of muscle stem cells is the main driving force behind muscle decline in old age.
  
  Read more

• Sleep disturbances predict substance use among college athletes

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (American Academy of Sleep Medicine) Preliminary results of a new study show that sleep disturbance is strongly related to the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs among student athletes in college.
  
  Read more

• Should your primary care physician be a generalist or specialist? New study explores

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (American Geriatrics Society) Recently, researchers studied how seeing a PCP or seeing a specialist for most of an older person's outpatient care (impacted their health outcomes. The research team published their findings in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
  
  Read more

• Sequential options prompt future thinking, boost patience

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Association for Psychological Science) When faced with a tempting choice, it can be hard to stop and think through the potential consequences, but new research suggests that framing the choice as a sequence of events can help us exercise patience by prompting us to imagine the future. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
  
  Read more

• Older married couples and advance directives

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (American Geriatrics Society) A new study examined the effects spouses had on the decision of older adults to have advance directives. The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
  
  Read more

• Officers on afternoon shift report being more fatigued

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University at Buffalo) Officers who work afternoons are twice as likely to report being tired, which puts them at greater risk for accidents, errors and stress, according to results of UB-led study that won first place in national conference poster competition.
  
  Read more

• New research provides practical cooking tips for your red wine sauce

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Faculty of Science - University of Copenhagen) Will you get intoxicated by pouring beer or wine into your sauce or stew? This question is important if you are pregnant, have to drive a car or want to track calories. New research from the University of Copenhagen and the Carlsberg Research Center creates a model for how alcohol disappears from a sauce or another liquid dish cooked in a saucepan. This model can thus be used to control the alcohol content.
  
  Read more

• New planet found to be hotter than most stars

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Penn State) A newly discovered Jupiter-like world is so hot that even its nights are like the flame of a welding torch. Planet KELT-9b is hotter than most stars. With a day-side temperature of more than 7,800 degrees Fahrenheit (4,600 Kelvin), it is only about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,200 Kelvin) cooler than our own sun.
  
  Read more

• Neutrino discovery: A step closer to finding CP violation

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe) Latest data by T2K Collaboration in their search to find evidence of CP violation has been published.
  
  Read more

• Major research initiative explores how our bones and muscles age, new ways to block their decline

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University) With age, the form and function of our bones and muscles drop off, putting us as increased risk for frailty and falls. Now researchers at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University are dissecting just what happens to the stem cells that make the tissues, which help keep us upright, with an eye on improving our healthspan.
  
  Read more

• Jackpot! Cosmic magnifying-glass effect captures universe's brightest galaxies

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Boosted by natural magnifying lenses in space, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured unique close-up views of the universe's brightest infrared galaxies, which are as much as 10,000 times more luminous than our Milky Way.
  
  Read more

• Is 'doing good' bad for a company's bottom line? Yes, says FAU study

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Florida Atlantic University) Companies that try to 'do good' are likely to find that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is bad for their bottom lines, according to a new study from Florida Atlantic University's College of Business. CSR is defined as strategies that appear to foster some social good, including programs that benefit community engagement, diversity, the environment, human rights and employee relations.
  
  Read more

• How neurons use crowdsourcing to make decisions

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Santa Fe Institute) When many individual neurons collect data, how do they reach a unanimous decision? New research from the Santa Fe Institute's collective computation group suggests a two-phase process.
  
  Read more

• Finnish 5G test networks are piloting the digital business and service models of the future

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland) Finland's 5G test networks are shifting their focus from technology development more towards large-scale service trials. The work continues in close cooperation with key vertical industry partners that, in the future, are planning to deploy their digital services on top of mobile network platforms.
  
  Read more

• Enrollment in early intervention services may be influenced by administering agency

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Oregon State University) Many eligible children do not enroll in services to improve cognitive, behavioral and physical skills under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act and the rates of enrollment vary in part by which agency at the state level is serving as the lead administrator.
  
  Read more

• Dr. Chiaravalloti of Kessler Foundation named 2017 Mitchell Rosenthal Memorial lecturer

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Kessler Foundation) Nancy Chiaravalloti, Ph.D., director of Neuropsychology, Neuroscience and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) research at Kessler Foundation, and director of the Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model System, gave the Mitchell Rosenthal Memorial Lecture at the 2017 Rehabilitation Psychology Mid-Winter Conference in Albuquerque, NM.
  
  Read more

• Does the sex of a cell matter in research?

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Tulane University) A Tulane University endocrinologist co-authored a guide in the latest issue of Cell Metabolism to help scientists who study obesity, diabetes or other metabolic diseases better account for inherent sex differences in research. 
  
  Read more

• CU Boulder researchers explain mystery of 'banging' galaxy clusters

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Colorado at Boulder) June 6, 2017 -Two galaxy clusters in the process of merging created a layer of surprisingly hot gas between them that University of Colorado Boulder astronomers believe is from turbulence caused by banging into each other at supersonic speeds.
  
  Read more

• Copaiba: Silver bullet or snake oil?

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Florida Atlantic University) Sales of the essential oil copaiba are increasing, at least in part, because more than 54 million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis. The conventional way to treat arthritis is using NSAIDs as well as cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors (COXIBs), which are not without adverse events like gastrointestinal bleeding, heart attacks and stroke. For arthritis sufferers, copaiba may turn out to be a silver bullet or, perhaps, snake oil.
  
  Read more

• Celestial boondocks: Study supports the idea we live in a void

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Wisconsin-Madison) A new study by a UW-Madison undergraduate not only firms up the idea that we exist in one of the holes of the Swiss cheese structure of the cosmos, but helps ease the apparent disagreement between different measurements of the Hubble Constant, the unit cosmologists use to describe the rate at which the universe is expanding today.
  
  Read more

• Can you hear me now?

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Johns Hopkins University) When trying to be heard over noise, humans and animals raise their voices. Researchers have now measured just how fast the response occurs in bats: 30 milliseconds. That's just a tenth of the time it takes to blink an eye.
  
  Read more

• Are friends better for us than family?

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Michigan State University) The power of friendship gets stronger with age and may even be more important than family relationships, indicates new research by a Michigan State University scholar.
  
  Read more

• America's top reporters on aging earn journalism fellowships

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (The Gerontological Society of America) The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and New America Media (NAM) have selected 18 distinguished reporters for the next cohort of the Journalists in Aging Fellows Program, now in its eighth year. They represent a wide range of general audience, ethnic, and community media outlets, including several public radio affiliates, daily newspapers, and national publications.
  
  Read more

• A star is born: Lesser-known brain cell takes center stage

  06-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Salk Institute) A new Salk method efficiently grows human astrocytes in a dish, advancing studies of stroke, Alzheimer's and depression.
  
  Read more

• With a sloppy 'kiss,' intrepid fish enjoys perilous feast

  06-06-2017 01:10
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A kiss from a colorful reef fish called a tubelip wrasse is no one's idea of romance, being so full of slime and suction, but it is perfectly suited for eating a hazardous diet using one of the animal kingdom's most unique feeding strategies.
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!