Science news

• Canada relatively unscathed as cyberattack continues to spread

  28-06-2017 22:38 via cbc.ca
  
  As a cyberattack continued to spread among nations and corporations on Wednesday, the identity and motives of the attackers remain a mystery.
  
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• Getting a flu ‘shot’ could soon be as easy as sticking on a Band-Aid

  28-06-2017 22:30
  
  Microneedle patches may make home-based vaccination a reality.
  
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• Male cockatoos have the beat

  28-06-2017 20:45
  
  Male cockatoos tap trees to a beat to get girls.
  
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• Gecko-inspired robot grippers could grab hold of space junk

  28-06-2017 20:08
  
  Aboard a microgravity plane, NASA is testing gecko-inspired grippers that one day could help clear up space junk.
  
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• Carved human skulls found at ancient worship center in Turkey

  28-06-2017 20:00
  
  Visitors to an ancient ritual site may have carved human skulls as part of ancestor worship.
  
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• Cyberattack: Was it really ransomware, or an attack on Ukraine — or something yet to come?

  28-06-2017 18:12 via cbc.ca
  
  A day after the latest cyberattack crippled computers internationally, starting in Ukraine, expert opinions are varying widely over who was behind it and what the real goal was.
  
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• Canada's top court backs order for Google to remove firm's website from global searches

  28-06-2017 16:12 via cbc.ca
  
  The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld a B.C. court ruling that ordered Google to remove the website of a company from its global search results.
  
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• Deep-Learning Networks Rival Human Vision

  28-06-2017 14:15 via rss.sciam.com
  
  AI now matches or exceeds the ability of experts in medicine and other fields to interpret what they see
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• Deep Learning Networks Rival Human Vision

  28-06-2017 14:15 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A.I. now matches or exceeds the ability of experts in medicine and other fields to interpret what they see
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Off-Grid Devices Draw Drinking Water from Dry Air

  28-06-2017 13:15 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Sunlight-powered moisture-absorbing technologies are becoming economical
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• More Millennials Are Having Strokes

  28-06-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A Scientific American analysis finds this trend differs based on where one lives
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• Ransomware attack hits property arm of France bank BNP Paribas

  28-06-2017 12:35 via cbc.ca
  
  A global cyberattack has hit the property arm of France's biggest bank BNP Paribas, one of the largest financial institutions known to be affected by an extortion campaign that started in Russia and Ukraine before spreading.
  
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• Increasingly wild weather could lead to rising air travel costs

  28-06-2017 12:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Be prepared to pay more for airfare if climate change continues to alter weather patterns, increasing the frequency and severity of storms, say climate change and airline industry experts.
  
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• World first: New polymer goes for a walk when illuminated

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Eindhoven University of Technology) Scientists have developed a new material that can undulate and therefore propel itself forward under the influence of light. To this end, they clamp a strip of this polymer material in a rectangular frame. When illuminated it goes for a walk all on its own. This small device, the size of a paperclip, is the world's first machine to convert light directly into walking, simply using one fixed light source. The researchers publish their findings in Nature.
  
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• UA researcher paves way for promising treatment for hot flashes

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Arizona) Fifteen years ago, Dr. Naomi Rance was at work when she experienced her first hot flash. Rance, a physician and researcher at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, took note. As it turns out, her basic scientific research on estrogen's involvement with hot flashes may lead to a promising treatment for them.
  
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• Tweaking muscle metabolism prevents obesity and diabetes in mice

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Iowa Health Care) Mildly stressing muscle metabolism boosts levels of a beneficial hormone that prevents obesity and diabetes in mice, according to a new University of Iowa study. The findings, published in the EMBO Journal, show that triggering ER stress in mouse muscle cells causes them to produce and secrete significant amounts of the anti-diabetic hormone fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21), which then has widespread beneficial effects on whole-body metabolism.
  
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• This week from AGU: As climate stirs Arctic sea ice faster, pollution tags along

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (American Geophysical Union) This week from AGU: As climate stirs Arctic sea ice faster, pollution tags along; New volcanic island unveils explosive past; Massive waves of melting Greenland ice warped Earth's crust; and more.
  
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• The value of nature

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of California - Santa Barbara) Money may not grow on trees, but trees themselves and all that they provide have a dollar value nonetheless.
  
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• The multi-colored photons that might change quantum information science

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Institut national de la recherche scientifique - INRS) With leading corporations now investing in highly expensive and complex infrastructures to unleash the power of quantum technologies, INRS researchers have achieved a breakthrough in a light-weight photonic system created using on-chip devices and off-the-shelf telecommunications components. In their paper published in Nature, the team demonstrates that photons can become an accessible and powerful quantum resource when generated in the for
  
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• Tackling iron and zinc deficiencies with 'better' bread

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (American Chemical Society) The health effects of zinc and iron deficiencies can be devastating, particularly in developing countries. One strategy for addressing this problem involves fertilizing crops with the micronutrients. But no one has yet figured out whether these added nutrients end up in food products made with the fortified crops. Now researchers report in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that this type of biofortification can boost micronutrients in bread, but other fa
  
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• Swimming microbots can remove pathogenic bacteria from water (video)

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (American Chemical Society) The lack of clean water in many areas around the world is a persistent, major public health problem. One day, tiny robots could help address this issue by zooming around contaminated water and cleaning up disease-causing bacteria. Scientists report a new development toward this goal in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
  
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• Study illustrates how the cortex assigns credit for causality

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Brown University) New research in the Journal of Neuroscience affirms a key role for neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the crucial learning task of determining what caused a desired result.
  
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• Study illuminates serotonin contributions to cocaine's allure

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Florida Atlantic University) A new study reinforces long-held suspicions that the brain chemical serotonin, a molecule usually associated with mood, appetite and libido, makes a direct contribution to the actions of cocaine. Scientists can now clearly see details of how the brain uses serotonin not just to regulate mood, but also to drive both rapid and long-lasting changes in the brain. They suspect these changes may contribute to the brain modifications that ultimately trap users in an addict
  
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• Stanford engineers design a robotic gripper for cleaning up space debris

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Stanford University) Researchers combined gecko-inspired adhesives and a custom robotic gripper to create a device for grabbing space debris. They tested their gripper in multiple zero gravity settings, including the International Space Station.
  
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• Socioeconomic status in childhood linked with cardiac structure and function in adulthood

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Turku) The multicenter trial coordinated by the Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Turku, Finland, shows that low socioeconomic status in childhood increases the risk of higher left ventricular mass and poorer diastolic function in adulthood.
  
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• Social connections impact voter turnout, decisions, says FSU research

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Florida State University) People more closely connected to electoral candidates in their social network vote at higher rates, according to Matthew Pietryka, an assistant professor of political science. The term 'social network' refers to the wide collection of family, friends and acquaintances that an individual has, as well as a social connection's family, friends and acquaintances.
  
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• Ruthenium rules for new fuel cells

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Rice University) Rice University scientists have fabricated a durable catalyst for high-performance fuel cells by attaching single ruthenium atoms to graphene.
  
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• RIT hosts largest number of NSF undergraduate research programs in New York

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Rochester Institute of Technology) Rochester Institute of Technology leads universities in New York with seven federally funded summer research programs for undergraduate students, according to the National Science Foundation. The NSF awards provide stipends for eight to 10 students per program to work with RIT researchers for 10 weeks. The competitive three-year summer programs accept new participants each year from universities across the country and have the potential to influence more than
  
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• Riggs research psychologist named Robert S. Wallerstein Fellow in Psychoanalytic Research

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Austen Riggs Center) Austen Riggs research psychologist Katie Lewis, PhD, named Robert S. Wallerstein Fellow in Psychoanalytic Research.
  
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• Researchers document early, permanent human settlement in Andes

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Wyoming) Examining human remains and other archaeological evidence from a site at nearly 12,500 feet above sea level in Peru, the scientists show that intrepid hunter-gatherers -- men, women and children -- managed to survive at high elevation before the advent of agriculture, in spite of lack of oxygen, frigid temperatures and exposure to elements.
  
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• Researchers document early, permananet human settlement in Andes

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Wyoming) Examining human remains and other archaeological evidence from a site at nearly 12,500 feet above sea level in Peru, the scientists show that intrepid hunter-gatherers -- men, women and children -- managed to survive at high elevation before the advent of agriculture, in spite of lack of oxygen, frigid temperatures and exposure to elements.
  
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• Research group focuses on economics of transportation needs for rural elderly

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Texas A&M AgriLife Communications) A multidisciplinary team of researchers is examining economic issues associated with providing transportation for the rural elderly and other socially disadvantaged populations.The aging baby boomer population is increasing the importance of mobility issues, including transportation, to society, the researchers said, also noting studies are needed to examine potential alternatives to increase the mobility of the elderly including both private and public al
  
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• Real-time vapor analysis could improve training of explosive-detecting dogs

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (American Chemical Society) With a sense of smell much greater than humans, dogs are considered the gold standard for explosive detection in many situations. But that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. In a study appearing in the ACS' journal Analytical Chemistry, scientists report on a new, more rigorous approach to training dogs and their handlers based on real-time analysis of what canines actually smell when they are exposed to explosive materials.
  
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• Predicting eruptions using satellites and math

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Frontiers) Volcanologists are beginning to use satellite measurements and mathematical methods to forecast eruptions and to better understand how volcanoes work, shows a new article in Frontiers in Earth Science.
  
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• PolyU 80th Anniversary Global Leader Lecture by Professor Hau L. Lee

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University ) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University invited Professor Hau L. Lee, a leading scholar in global supply chain management, entrepreneurship and innovations in developing economies, and value chain strategies, to speak at the PolyU 80th Anniversary Global Leader Lecture Series on June 28, 2017.
  
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• Paving the way for hydrogen fuel cells

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (American Chemical Society) The hype around hydrogen fuel cells has died down, but scientists have continued to pursue new technologies that could enable such devices to gain a firmer foothold. Now one team has developed an electrocatalyst to replace the currently dominant, but expensive, one of choice -- platinum -- that could help boost the fledgling fuel-cell industry. Their report appears in the journal ACS Nano.
  
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• NSF-funded researchers demonstrate advanced network applications.

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (National Science Foundation) The National Science Foundation (NSF) has long been a leader in supporting research that has formed the basis for smart and connected communities, pushing sensor and networking capabilities beyond today's Internet of Things (IoT) to next-generation technologies able to revolutionize our lives in smart communities across the nation.
  
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• Now or later: How taste and sound affect when you buy

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Brigham Young University) New research finds the type of sensory experience an advertisement conjures up in our mind -- taste and touch vs. sight and sound -- has a fascinating effect on when we make purchases.The study led by marketing professors at Brigham Young University and the University of Washington finds that advertisements highlighting more distal sensory experiences (sight/sound) lead people to delay purchasing, while highlighting more proximal sensory experiences (touch/taste) lead
  
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• New technology aims to provide peace and positive stimulation to dementia patients

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Human Factors and Ergonomics Society) To alleviate boredom and increase engagement, elderly patients in long-term care facilities can engage with the Ambient Activity Technology device any time to view family photos, hear their favorite music, and play games.
  
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• New technique unveils 'matrix' inside tissues and tumors

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Copenhagen The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences) Scientists have developed a groundbreaking method to reveal the structure of tissues and tumors with unprecedented detail, by completely dissolving away cells and leaving the delicate extracellular matrix intact.
  
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• NASA looks at rainfall from Tropical Storm Dora

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Now a tropical storm, Hurricane Dora has been skirting southwestern Mexico's coast since it formed and has transported tropical moisture onshore that has produced some heavy rain showers. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite has analyzed those rainfall rates.
  
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• NASA keeps a close eye on tiny stowaways

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Johnson Space Center) Wherever you find people, you also find bacteria and other microorganisms. The International Space Station is no exception.
  
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• Nanostructures taste the rainbow

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (California Institute of Technology) Engineers create nanoscale light detectors capable of distinguishing between different colors.
  
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• Nanopipette technology wins first place in NIH 'Follow that Cell' challenge

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of California - Santa Cruz) Nader Pourmand, professor of biomolecular engineering in the Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz, has won the $300,000 first place prize in the Follow that Cell Challenge organized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Pourmand has spent nearly 15 years developing his nanopipette technology, which allows researchers to take miniscule samples from inside a living cell without affecting the cell's activity or viability.
  
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• More precise diagnostics for improved cancer outcomes

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Texas at Austin, Texas Advanced Computing Center) In the future, it may be possible to diagnose cancer much earlier using improved detection systems. Computing resources at the Texas Advanced Computing Center help researchers explore improved breast tissue mapping, nanopore and lab-on-a-chip biosensors, and cell-entering cancer detectors. Advanced computing is critical for the simulation and materials design aspects of these emerging diagnostic devices.
  
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• Mitochondrial disease has a disproportionate healthcare burden in US

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) Mitochondrial diseases are a diverse group of disorders caused by mutated genes that impair energy production in a patient's cells, often with severe effects. Patients with these diseases incur high medical costs for hospitalization, and suffer higher-than-typical rates of comorbid diseases and in-hospital mortality. Researchers who analyzed those costs say their findings underscore the importance of developing preventive strategies and therapies for these i
  
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• Micron-sized hydrogel cubes show highly efficient delivery of a potent anti-cancer drug

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Alabama at Birmingham) Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center have developed micro-cubes that can sponge up a hydrophobic anti-cancer drug and deliver it to cancer cells. Tissue culture tests show these tiny, porous cubes, loaded with the hydrophobic drug, are more potent against liver cancer cells and less harmful to normal liver cells, compared to the drug alone.
  
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• McLean researchers awarded allowance for a method to treat PTSD with xenon gas

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (McLean Hospital) Researchers from McLean Hospital have been issued a patent allowance for their invention involving the use of xenon gas to aid in the treatment of addiction and anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  
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• Male infertility could be linked to noisy bedrooms, study suggests

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Elsevier) Long-term exposure to a noisy environment, particularly at night, is linked to infertility in men, according to a study in Environmental Pollution. The researchers found that exposure above the WHO night noise level (55 dB -- equivalent to the noise of a suburban street) is linked to a significant increase in infertility.
  
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• Longer reproductive years linked to lower cardiovascular & cerebrovascular risk in women

  28-06-2017 06:00
  
  (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) A new study has shown that every 1 year increase in reproductive duration -- years from menarche to menopause--was associated with a 3 percent reduction in a woman's risk of angina or stroke.
  
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