Science news

• Unlikely predators: Owls, raccoons feast on endangered baby hawks

  11-07-2017 23:17 via cbc.ca
  
  Populations of ferruginous hawks are in decline, and the species is designated as threatened in Canada. New research from the University of Alberta has revealed two unlikely predators: raccoons and great horned owls that attack baby ferruginous hawks in their nests.
  
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• Big cash boost for UK satellite sector

  11-07-2017 23:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The UK government formally announces a more-than-£100m investment in new satellite and rocket test facilities.
  
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• The most distant star ever spotted is 9 billion light-years away

  11-07-2017 22:51
  
  A bright blue star sends its light from two-thirds of the way across the universe, thanks to a chance alignment with a galaxy cluster.
  
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• Artist to debut 3D portraits produced from Chelsea Manning's DNA

  11-07-2017 20:32
  
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Around thirty three-dimensional portraits of Chelsea Manning, created using the DNA of the transgender U.S. Army soldier imprisoned for leaking classified data, will greet visitors at eye-level at an exhibition opening in New York City next month.
  
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• Tactile Traffic Maps Could Help Blind Pedestrians Navigate

  11-07-2017 20:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The technology is currently being tested at a busy intersection in New York City
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• The transcription factor C/EBP{beta} in the dorsal root ganglion contributes to peripheral nerve trauma-induced nociceptive hypersensitivity

  11-07-2017 19:53 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Changes in gene transcription in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) after nerve trauma contribute to the genesis of neuropathic pain. We report that peripheral nerve trauma caused by chronic constriction injury (CCI) increased the abundance of the transcription factor C/EBPβ (CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β) in the DRG. Blocking this increase mitigated the development and maintenance of CCI-induced mechanical, thermal, and cold pain hypersensitivities without affecting basal responses to
  
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• Papers of note in Nature 547 (7661)

  11-07-2017 19:53 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s articles highlight progress in predicting T cell receptor specificity; an evolutionarily ancient form of antiviral defense; a mechanism of chemotherapy-induced cell death; metabolic rewiring in cancer cells; and structural insights into activation of a GPCR and of a mechanosensitive ion channel.
  
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• Paper of note in Science Translational Medicine 9 (397)

  11-07-2017 19:53 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s article describes how chemotherapy unintentionally enhances the dissemination of cancer cells into the circulation.
  
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• Paper of note in Science 357 (6346)

  11-07-2017 19:53 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s article offers a possible explanation for how Zika virus causes microcephaly.
  
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• New connections: amyloid-{beta}, calcium, and the synapse

  11-07-2017 19:53 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Insight into how amyloid-β impairs synaptic function reveals potential therapeutic targets for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
  
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• Heart failure inhibitor

  11-07-2017 19:53 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Targeting a G protein–coupled receptor in cardiomyocytes offers protection in a mouse model of cardiac failure.
  
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• Gene expression profiles of brain endothelial cells during embryonic development at bulk and single-cell levels

  11-07-2017 19:53 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The blood-brain barrier is a dynamic interface that separates the brain from the circulatory system, and it is formed by highly specialized endothelial cells. To explore the molecular mechanisms defining the unique nature of vascular development and differentiation in the brain, we generated high-resolution gene expression profiles of mouse embryonic brain endothelial cells using translating ribosome affinity purification and single-cell RNA sequencing. We compared the brain vascular translatome
  
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• Activation of CaMKIV by soluble amyloid-{beta}1-42 impedes trafficking of axonal vesicles and impairs activity-dependent synaptogenesis

  11-07-2017 19:53 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The prefibrillar form of soluble amyloid-β (sAβ1–42) impairs synaptic function and is associated with the early phase of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We investigated how sAβ1–42 led to presynaptic defects using a quantum dot–based, single particle–tracking method to monitor synaptic vesicle (SV) trafficking along axons. We found that sAβ1–42 prevented new synapse formation induced by chemical long-term potentiation (cLTP). In cultured rat hipp
  
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• First teleportation to low-Earth orbit

  11-07-2017 16:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  China teleports first object from the ground to satellite
  
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• Deadly bird infection continues to spread in Atlantic Canada

  11-07-2017 15:41 via cbc.ca
  
  A highly contagious infection is spreading through finch populations in Atlantic Canada and experts are asking for the public's help to stop the spread of the disease.
  
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• Physicists Go Deep in Search of Dark Matter

  11-07-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A laboratory buried nearly a mile beneath South Dakota is at the forefront of a global push for subterranean science
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• Fusion wait

  11-07-2017 11:50 via bbc.co.uk
  We will have to wait until the second half of the century for fusion reactors to start generating electricity, experts have announced.
  
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• Fusion energy pushed back beyond 2050

  11-07-2017 11:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  We will have to wait until the second half of the century for fusion reactors to start generating electricity, experts have announced.
  
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• Canadian tech companies say they value diversity — but what are they doing about it?

  11-07-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  We asked 31 Canadian technology companies how they measure the diversity of their workforce but got few details in response - even though the sector says it is making strides to be more inclusive of women and minorities.
  
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• Mesmerising video of a whale playing with dolphins

  11-07-2017 07:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A whale appears to play with a pod of dolphins off the coast of Western Australia.
  
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• Women and men may have different bipolar disorder biomarkers

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Penn State) Men and women react differently to compounds associated with immune system response to bipolar disorder, according to an international team of medical researchers. The findings suggest that bipolar disorder could one day be diagnosed by measuring biological changes in the body, and that treatments could be tailored differently for men and women.
  
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• USPSTF recommendation regarding behavioral counseling for cardiovascular disease prevention

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (The JAMA Network Journals) The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that primary care professionals individualize the decision to offer or refer adults without obesity who do not have high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol or blood sugar levels or diabetes to behavioral counseling to promote a healthful diet and physical activity. Existing evidence indicates a positive but small benefit of behavioral counseling for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in this population. The repo
  
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• UNU report focuses on ties between financial sector and modern slavery

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (United Nations University) A UN University report released today finds that the financial sector has a number of underutilized tools at its disposal to disrupt funds generated by human trafficking and modern slavery. The report identifies concrete measures to break the ties between the financial sector and modern slavery.
  
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• UCI cybersecurity group launches initiatives to combat cyber threats

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (University of California - Irvine) New initiatives from the Cybersecurity Policy & Research Institute at the University of California, Irvine will help combat one of our greatest security challenges: vulnerabilities and attacks in cyberspace.
  
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• Thinking thin brings new layering and thermal abilities to the semiconductor industry

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (American Institute of Physics) The concept of a simple technique to remove thin layers from otherwise thick, rigid semiconductor crystals has been actively explored for years. In a significant advance, a research group from IBM successfully applied their new 'controlled spalling' layer transfer technique to gallium nitride (GaN) crystals, a prevalent semiconductor material, and created a pathway for producing many layers from a single substrate. They report their work in this week's Journal of
  
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• Study of premature babies has implications for future treatment

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Kent) Study of premature babies has implications for future treatmentResearch carried out by the University of Kent with doctors on the neonatal unit at the William Harvey Hospital and Brunel University have provided further insight into the biology of premature birth, with findings that may have implications for treating premature babies.
  
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• Study compares switching meds vs. an additional med for patients unresponsive to an antidepressant

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (The JAMA Network Journals) Among patients unresponsive to an antidepressant medication, adding the antipsychotic aripiprazole modestly increased the likelihood of remission from depression compared to switching to the antidepressant bupropion, according to a study published by JAMA.
  
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• Squeezing innovation out of the NASA Twins study: Pipetting and cell isolation in space

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Johnson Space Center) NASA is evaluating more efficient research techniques to prepare for the journey to Mars. Innovative thinking could improve the way biological samples are processed and transported from space back to research labs on Earth for future studies.
  
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• Spiky ferrofluid thrusters can move satellites

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Michigan Technological University) Once launched into low-Earth orbit, a small satellite needs propulsion. Electrospray uses spiky, needle-like jets of fluid to push spacecraft.
  
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• Signature analysis of single molecules using their noise signals

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Osaka University) Japanese researchers obtain unique noise signatures from single molecules interacting with carbon nanotube-based electronic devices.
  
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• Researcher to improve aeronautical communications with $4.4 million in NASA funding

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (University of South Carolina) A University of South Carolina researcher in the College of Engineering and Computing is the principal investigator for a new NASA-funded $4.4 million research project to address limitations in aircraft communication networks to improve operations and increase safety.
  
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• Pulse rate monitoring before a C-section can improve maternal health

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Springer) Doctors often prescribe preventative drugs to women who are to receive spinal blocks while giving birth via a Caesarean section. Such preventative treatment against hypotension, however, can have side-effects. In a study in Springer's journal Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Augusto Navarro of the Miguel Servet University Hospital in Spain and collaborators investigate how clinicians can use aspects of pulse rate to decide whether blood pressure medication should be provided.
  
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• Opioid tapering may improve outcomes for chronic pain sufferers

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (American College of Physicians) Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information.
  
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• News laser design offers more inexpensive multi-color output

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Northwestern University) A new Northwestern University study has engineered a more cost-effective laser design that outputs multi-color lasing and offers a step forward in chip-based lasers and miniaturization.The findings could allow encrypted, encoded, redundant and faster information flow in optical fibers, as well as multi-color medical imaging of diseased tissue in real time.
  
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• NC pre-K earns high marks for its first 15 years

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute) "The NC Pre-K Program has enhanced children's language development, communication skills, cognitive development, and social and emotional development," says FPG senior research scientist Ellen Peisner-Feinberg, who has led annual evaluations of the program since its inception as 'More at Four' in 2001. "Not only does the program benefit children while they attend it, but its positive effects persist."
  
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• NASA found heavy rainfall in Hurricane Eugene

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) When Hurricane Eugene was nearing its peak, NASA analyzed the storm's heavy rainfall over the open waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. That rainfall has lessened as Eugene has weakened to a tropical storm on July 11.
  
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• Method determines cell age more accurately, could help elderly patients

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Johns Hopkins University) Researchers are reporting progress in developing a method to accurately determine the functional age of cells, a step that could eventually help clinicians recommend ways to delay some health effects of aging and potentially improve treatments.
  
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• Making telescopes that curve and twist

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Association for Computing Machinery) A new tool for computational design allows users to turn any 3-D shape into a collapsible telescoping structure. New mathematical methods developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University capture the complex and diverse properties of such structures, which are valuable for a variety of applications in 3-D fabrication and robotics -- particularly where mechanisms must be compact in size and easily deployable.
  
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• Live-in grandparents helped human ancestors get a safer night's sleep

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Duke University) A sound night's sleep grows more elusive as people get older. But what some call insomnia may actually be an age-old survival mechanism, researchers report. A study of modern hunter-gatherers in Tanzania finds that, for people who live in groups, differences in sleep patterns commonly associated with age help ensure that at least one person is awake at all times.
  
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• Lip-syncing Obama: New tools turn audio clips into realistic video

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Washington) A new AI tool developed by University of Washington computer vision researchers can create realistic videos from audio files alone -- including speeches by President Obama.
  
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• IU, Regenstrief study: Early home health worker visit lowers risk of hospital readmission

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Indiana University) A visit by a home health worker, such as a nurse or physical therapist, within a week of an older adult's discharge from a skilled nursing facility appears to lower the risk of hospital readmission within 30 days by nearly half according to a new Indiana University Center for Aging Research and Regenstrief Institute study.
  
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• In rats that can't control glutamate, cocaine is less rewarding, staving off relapse

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Cell Press) Rats missing a neuroreceptor that controls the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate are less amenable to the rewarding effects of cocaine, increasing their chance of kicking the habit once addicted, researchers from the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) find. Their work, appearing July 11 in Cell Reports, suggests that the receptor, which protects nerve cells from fatal inundation by excess glutamate, is involved in modulating the reward-seeking behavior associated wit
  
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• Immune system may keep body from neutralizing HIV-1 virus

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus) Researchers at the University ofColorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered that a process protecting the body from autoimmune disease appears to prevent it from creating antibodies that can neutralize the HIV-1 virus, a finding that could possibly help lead to a vaccine that stimulates production of these antibodies.
  
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• How cells control nuclear size becomes clearer

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Hiroshima University) Over a century since scientists first observed that cells and their nucleus grow at a constant ratio, we are now closer to finding out how.This study was carried out by Assistant Professor Kazunori Kume of Hiroshima University and supervised by Nobel Laureate Sir Paul Nurse.It discovered that hoarding of genetic materials (mRNA) and proteins by the nucleus causes it to bulk up and is enabled by the amount of nuclear membrane supplied.
  
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• Hospital management practices may put women at risk for C-sections during childbirth

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) The way certain hospital labor and delivery units are managed may put healthy women at greater risk for cesarean deliveries and hemorrhage, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers and colleagues.
  
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• Highlights for the 2017 American Chemical Society fall national meeting

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (American Chemical Society) Journalists registering for the American Chemical Society's (ACS') 254th National Meeting & Exposition will have a wealth of new scientific information available for their news stories. Nearly 9,400 presentations are planned on a wide range of topics from health to the environment. The meeting, one of the largest scientific conferences of the year, will be held Aug. 20-24 in Washington, D.C.
  
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• Guidance for metrics to improve patient care

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Plymouth) People with long term conditions, multiple long term conditions and those at the end of life could see their care better tailored to their needs, as the first openly-available comprehensive resource of measures relating to patient experience and person centered care is published in a single guide for health service commissioners.
  
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• Generous people live happier lives

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Zurich) Generosity makes people happier, even if they are only a little generous. People who act solely out of self-interest are less happy. Merely promising to be more generous is enough to trigger a change in our brains that makes us happier. This is what UZH neuroeconomists found in a recent study.
  
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• Future materials are becoming 'topological'

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (Elhuyar Fundazioa) Researchers from CIC nanoGUNE, Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley experimentally developed the so-called 'Quantum Spin Hall' effect in a 2-D material. Materials that display this phenomenon are called 'topological insulators.' But since they were theoretically predicted in 2005, only a handful of two-dimensional ones have been found in nature and none of them offer any practical use. The scientific journal Nature Physics has echoed the results obta
  
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• Even droplets sometimes take the stairs

  11-07-2017 06:00
  
  (American Institute of Physics) Sometimes, liquid drops don't drop. Instead, they climb. Using computer simulations, researchers have now shown how to induce droplets to climb stairs all by themselves. This stair-climbing behavior could be useful in everything from water treatment and new lab-on-a-chip microfluidic devices, to biochemical processing and medical diagnostic tools. The researchers describe their findings this week in the journal Physics of Fluids.
  
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