Science news

• Chiropractor on holiday discovers B.C.'s first dinosaur skull

  13-06-2017 22:49 via cbc.ca
  
  Experts believe the skull, discovered near Tumbler Ridge, is from a tyrannosaurid-like Albertosaurus.
  
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• Iqaluit could face water shortage within 5 years, researcher says

  13-06-2017 22:38 via cbc.ca
  
  Iqaluit may face a water shortage within five years, owing to shifting seasons, faster warming in the Arctic than anywhere on Earth and a growing population.
  
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• As Trump promises a return to coal, worldwide demand plummets

  13-06-2017 22:38 via cbc.ca
  
  Market demand for the dirtiest of fossil fuels is plummeting worldwide, according to industry data published Tuesday, even as President Donald Trump has made reviving the long-struggling U.S. coal mines the bedrock of his administration's energy policy.
  
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• Ancient DNA shakes up the elephant family tree

  13-06-2017 21:08
  
  DNA from straight-tusked elephant fossils is forcing scientists to reconsider the history of elephant evolution.
  
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• Hundreds of Calgary women secretly photographed, posted to 'CanadaCreep' Twitter account

  13-06-2017 21:01 via cbc.ca
  
  Join us at 2:30 p.m. MT as we livestream a police press conference on the 'CanadaCreep' Twitter account, which amassed 17,000 followers by posting surreptitiously recorded images of Calgary women's clothed breasts, buttocks and genital areas — including videos filmed up women's skirts while they walked.
  
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• The lost language of the RNA World

  13-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The possibility of an RNA World is based on the notion that life on Earth passed through a primitive phase without proteins, a time when all genomes and enzymes were composed of ribonucleic acids. Numerous apparent vestiges of this ancient RNA World remain today, including many nucleotide-derived coenzymes, self-processing ribozymes, metabolite-binding riboswitches, and even ribosomes. Many of the most common signaling molecules and second messengers used by modern organisms are also formed from
  
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• The lncRNA H19 mediates breast cancer cell plasticity during EMT and MET plasticity by differentially sponging miR-200b/c and let-7b

  13-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Metastasis is a multistep process by which tumor cells disseminate from their primary site and form secondary tumors at a distant site. The pathophysiological course of metastasis is mediated by the dynamic plasticity of cancer cells, which enables them to shift between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes through a transcriptionally regulated program termed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its reverse process, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). Using a mouse model of spo
  
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• Regulation of the ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation of CREB-binding protein modulates histone acetylation and lung inflammation

  13-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element–binding protein (CREB)–binding protein (CBP) is a histone acetyltransferase that plays a pivotal role in the control of histone modification and the expression of cytokine-encoding genes in inflammatory diseases, including sepsis and lung injury. We found that the E3 ubiquitin ligase subunit FBXL19 targeted CBP for site-specific ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation. The ubiquitylation-dependent degradation of CBP reduced th
  
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• Papers of note in Science Translational Medicine 9 (393)

  13-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s articles describe a new combination therapy for BRCA1-mutant breast cancer and a new therapeutic target in patients with the ectopic calcification disease PXE.
  
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• Papers of note in Science 356 (6342)

  13-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s articles explore the structural basis for nitrate sensing in bacteria, the importance of attenuating healing responses to reduce fibrosis and allergy, and the recruitment of chromatin silencing factors in X chromosome inactivation.
  
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• Papers of note in Nature 546 (7657)

  13-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s articles highlight an unusual mechanism for switching off GPCR signaling; the structural basis of activation of the GLP-1 receptor; a critical role for the B cell receptor in some lymphoma cells; and how cancer cells exploit nutrient sensing and acquisition pathways.
  
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• Ligand-activated Notch undergoes DTX4-mediated ubiquitylation and bilateral endocytosis before ADAM10 processing

  13-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The Notch signaling pathway, which is activated by cell-cell contact, is a major regulator of cell fate decisions. Mammalian Notch1 is present at the cell surface as a heterodimer of the Notch extracellular domain associated with the transmembrane and intracellular domains. After ligand binding, Notch undergoes proteolysis, releasing the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) that regulates gene expression. We monitored the early steps of activation with biochemical analysis, immunofluorescence analy
  
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• Detecting and treating brain cancer

  13-06-2017 19:52 via stke.sciencemag.org
  A systems biology approach identifies plasma biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for patients with glioblastoma.
  
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• New kind of ‘tan in a bottle’ may one day protect against skin cancer

  13-06-2017 18:47
  
  A drug for activating melanin production without using ultraviolet radiation works in human skin samples.
  
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• Ladybugs fold their wings like origami masters

  13-06-2017 17:30
  
  Ladybug wings could lead to new foldable technologies.
  
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• Shining light on low-energy electrons

  13-06-2017 17:17
  
  The classic method for studying how electrons interact with matter is by analyzing their scattering through thin layers of a known substance. This happens by directing a stream of electrons at the layer and analyzing the subsequent deviations in the electrons' trajectories. Researchers have now devised a way to examine the movement of low-energy electrons that can adversely impact electronic systems and biological tissue.
  
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• Ammonia on-demand? Alternative production method for a sustainable future

  13-06-2017 17:17
  
  Highly efficient ammonia synthesis at room temperature, with the highest yield ever reported, was just achieved. The small-scale ammonia production under mild conditions was accomplished by applying a direct current electric field to the Ru-Cs catalyst. Collecting highly pure ammonia as compressed liquid becomes possible using this method, and this finding will lead to developing on-demand ammonia production plants that run on renewable energy in the near future.
  
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• Taking the guesswork out of forensic analysis of fingermarks

  13-06-2017 17:16
  
  Scientists are using lasers to take the mystery out of the process of identifying the chemical compositions of fingermarks at a crime scene.
  
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• Plastic made from sugar and carbon dioxide

  13-06-2017 17:16
  
  Some biodegradable plastics could in the future be made using sugar and carbon dioxide, replacing unsustainable plastics made from crude oil.
  
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• Molecule may help maintain brain's synaptic balance

  13-06-2017 17:16
  
  Many neurological diseases are malfunctions of synapses, or the points of contact between neurons that allow senses and other information to pass from finger to brain. When excitatory and inhibitory balance is off, the brain becomes unable to process information normally, leading to conditions like epilepsy. Now researchers have discovered a molecule that may play a role in helping maintain the balance. The results were published in the journal eLife.
  
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• Hot rocks, not warm atmosphere, led to relatively recent water-carved valleys on Mars

  13-06-2017 17:16
  
  Some scientists have interpreted water-carved valleys on Mars formed within the last few billion years as a sign of either an active groundwater system or of transient warm periods in the atmosphere. But new research shows that snow and ice melted by hot impact ejecta could have produced enough water to carve those valleys with no groundwater or heat wave required.
  
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• Galaxy alignments traced back 10 billion years

  13-06-2017 17:16
  
  The most massive galaxies in the universe have been aligned with their surroundings for at least ten billion years. This discovery shows that galaxies, like people, are influenced by their environment from a young age.
  
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• Rare black-tailed godwits released into wild at Welney

  13-06-2017 17:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The 25 endangered black-tailed godwits were hand-reared to ensure their survival.
  
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• Live antibiotics use bacteria to kill bacteria

  13-06-2017 16:49
  
  Certain bacteria will destroy other bacteria without harming humans. They may be an answer to antibiotic-resistant infections.
  
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• Initial successes in treating a hitherto incurable liver disorder

  13-06-2017 16:28
  Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a currently incurable liver disorder, primarily affecting younger adults aged between 30 and 40. A European multi-center Phase II study has now shown that this disease could be potentially be cured using a synthetically manufactured bile acid (active agent: nor-ursodeoxycholic acid/nor-urso).
  
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• VST captures Eagle Nebula and close companions

  13-06-2017 16:21
  
  Two of the sky's more famous residents share the stage with a lesser-known neighbor in an enormous new three gigapixel image from ESO's VLT Survey Telescope (VST). On the right lies Sharpless 2-54, the iconic Eagle Nebula is in the center, and the Omega Nebula to the left. This cosmic trio makes up just a portion of a vast complex of gas and dust within which new stars are springing to life and illuminating their surroundings.
  
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• Scientists make first crystal model of under-diagnosed autoimmune disease

  13-06-2017 16:20
  
  Doctors are limited in how they can treat patients with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease, to just treating its symptoms. The creation of a crystal model gives scientists new insight into a possible target for drug therapy development.
  
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• Pregnancy problems not necessarily tied to Zika viral load or Dengue fever

  13-06-2017 16:20
  Zika viral load and the degree of Zika symptoms during pregnancy were not necessarily associated with problems during pregnancy or fetal abnormalities at birth, researchers have found. They also found that the presence of antibodies to previously acquired dengue fever was not necessarily connected to abnormalities during pregnancy or at birth.
  
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• New carbon nitride material coupled with ruthenium enhances visible-light CO2 reduction in water

  13-06-2017 16:20
  
  A hybrid photocatalyst exhibits specifically high activity for the reductive conversion reaction of carbon dioxide to formic acid under visible light irradiation, new research has found.
  
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• Female and male mice suffer, recover from TBI differently

  13-06-2017 16:20
  Male mice have much greater brain distress in the week following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) than female mice, including skyrocketing inflammation and nerve cell death, say researchers.
  
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• Autism risk linked to fever during pregnancy

  13-06-2017 16:20
  
  Fever during pregnancy may raise the risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the child, according to a study. The effect was most pronounced in the second trimester, raising odds for ASD by 40 percent. Risk of an ASD was increased by over 300 percent for the children of women reporting three or more fevers after the twelfth week of pregnancy.
  
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• Why does an anesthetic make us lose consciousness?

  13-06-2017 16:19
  Neuroscientists have now discovered that certain areas of the brain generate less information when under anesthesia.
  
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• Bank of Canada warns financial sector vulnerable to cyberattacks

  13-06-2017 15:36 via cbc.ca
  
  Canada's interconnected banks are vulnerable to a cascading series of cyberattacks that could undermine broad confidence in the financial system, the Bank of Canada warns.
  
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• The battle for nesting sites among the birds and the bees

  13-06-2017 14:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Competition for nesting sites could explain why some birds and bumblebees are declining faster than others.
  
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• Fantastic Voyage: Polynesian Seafaring Canoe Completes Its Globe-Circling Journey

  13-06-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
   The Hōkūleʻa vessel is set to finish its first circumnavigation later this week in Honolulu
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• New video camera captures 5 trillion frames every second

  13-06-2017 10:00
  
  A new camera’s record-breaking speed offers researchers a window into never-before-seen phenomena, such as combustion reactions.
  
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• Bee swarm swamps car in Hull

  13-06-2017 09:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The owner of the vehicle said her family had all been stung by the 20,000 strong swarm.
  
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• When the rubber hits the road: Recycled tires create stronger concrete

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of British Columbia) UBC engineers have developed a more resilient type of concrete using recycled tires that could be used for concrete structures like buildings, roads, dams and bridges while reducing landfill waste.
  
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• What drives hacktivism? Weighing the payoffs against the risks

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) A new study examining factors that contribute to the likelihood of a hacktivist carrying out an attack showed, unexpectedly, that the payoffs are the main predictor, not the risks involved.
  
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• VST captures three-in-one

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (ESO) Two of the sky's more famous residents share the stage with a lesser-known neighbour in this enormous new three gigapixel image from ESO's VLT Survey Telescope (VST). On the right lies Sharpless 2-54, the iconic Eagle Nebula is in the centre, and the Omega Nebula to the left. This cosmic trio makes up just a portion of a vast complex of gas and dust within which new stars are springing to life and illuminating their surroundings.
  
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• VST captures 3-in-1

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (ESO) Two of the sky's more famous residents share the stage with a lesser-known neighbor in this enormous new three gigapixel image from ESO's VLT Survey Telescope (VST). On the right lies Sharpless 2-54, the iconic Eagle Nebula is in the center, and the Omega Nebula to the left. This cosmic trio makes up just a portion of a vast complex of gas and dust within which new stars are springing to life and illuminating their surroundings.
  
  Read more

• VLA gives new insight into galaxy cluster's spectacular 'mini-halo'

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (National Radio Astronomy Observatory) New images give an unprecedented view, revealing multitude of new substructures that shed light on mechanisms creating the massive radio-emitting structure.
  
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• Uterine fibroid embolization helps restore fertility

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Radiological Society of North America) A minimally invasive treatment can help restore fertility in women with uterine fibroids, according to a new study.
  
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• UMD bioengineers develop new technologies to drive next-generation therapies for MS

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Maryland) Researchers in the University of Maryland Fischell Department of Bioengineering Jewell Laboratory are using quantum dots -- tiny semiconductor particles commonly used in nanotechnology -- to decipher the features needed to design specific and effective therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases.
  
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• UAF research hub seeks to help Alaska communities stop suicides

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Alaska Fairbanks) University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers have received a $4.25 million federal grant to help Alaska Native communities use the most effective ways of preventing suicides. The UAF Institute of Arctic Biology, Center for Alaska Native Health Research and College of Rural and Community Development received the five-year grant. It was one of three awarded nationwide by the National Institutes of Health.
  
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• Transcranial direct current stimulation improves mental manipulation of body part imagery

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Kanazawa University) The lateral occipito-temporal cortex (LOTC) is known to be involved in the perception of body parts. Herein, in patients with dementia, the glucose metabolism level in the LOTC was found to be significantly correlated with performance in a task involving mental rotation of the hand. Next, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the LOTC in healthy subjects was found to improve the same mental manipulation. This study suggests applicability of tDCS to rehabilitatio
  
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• Topical drug darkens human skin in a dish without UV

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Cell Press) Researchers in Boston have developed a class of small molecules that successfully penetrates and darkens human skin samples in the laboratory. The drug also generates protective tans in red-haired mice, which are more susceptible to skin cancer via ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The molecule works by stimulating cells to produce more UV-absorbing pigments, but more preclinical tests need to be done before it is proven safe in humans. The study appears in the journal Cell Reports.
  
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• The importance of time and space in brain development and disease

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Newcastle University) New research shows time and space during brain maturation are critical and better understanding of these physical changes could lead to new treatments and better diagnosis of a variety of conditions.
  
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• The designation as a Biosphere Reserve improves the life quality of the citizens

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of the Basque Country ) The environmental evolution and the socioeconomic and cultural evolution in Urdaibai since it was designated a Biosphere Reserve have been analyzed at the UPV/EHU. The conclusion reached is that this designation has not had any negative effect on the inhabitants, the conservation of the environment has been guaranteed, and it may have boosted the local socioeconomic and cultural development.
  
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• Superconducting nanowire memory cell, miniaturized technology

  13-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Illinois College of Engineering) Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new nanoscale memory cell that holds tremendous promise for successful integration with superconducting processors. The new technology, created by Professor of Physics Alexey Bezryadin and graduate student Andrew Murphy, in collaboration with Dmitri Averin, a professor of theoretical physics at State University of New York at Stony Brook, provides stable memory at a smal
  
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