Science news

• Now we know how much glacial melting ‘watermelon snow’ can cause

  18-09-2017 23:03
  
  Algae that give snow a red tint are making glacial snow in Alaska melt faster.
  
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• Horsey seal injured by flying ring 'making recovery'

  18-09-2017 21:13 via bbc.co.uk
  Volunteers came to the aid of a seal after its neck was trapped within a plastic flying ring.
  
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• 3-D scans of fossils suggest new fish family tree

  18-09-2017 20:17
  
  Analysis of specimens from China implies ray-finned fishes evolved later than previously thought.
  
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• Global warming speeds up due to Pacific 'flip'

  18-09-2017 19:06 via cbc.ca
  After slightly slowing for the past 15 years, global warming is once again rising more quickly due to a decade-long weather pattern that warms and cools the Pacific, Britain's meteorological office said Monday.
  
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• 4,500 deaths a year from high Europe diesel emissions, researchers find

  18-09-2017 15:29 via cbc.ca
  Researchers estimate there have been more than 4,500 premature deaths annually in Europe because diesel cars emitted higher levels of pollution than claimed.
  
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• People with schizophrenia are dying younger

  18-09-2017 15:08
  People with schizophrenia have a mortality rate that is three times greater each year than those without schizophrenia, and die on average, eight years earlier than people without schizophrenia according to a new study.
  
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• Membrane vesicles released by bacteria may play different roles during infection

  18-09-2017 15:07
  Bacteria release membrane-derived vesicles (MVs), which are small particles that can transport virulence factors to neighboring bacteria or to the cells of a mammalian host. This special MV-based system for delivering toxic proteins and nucleic acids in a protected manner to the target cells may have different specific functions depending on whether the bacterium acts as an extracellular or intracellular pathogen.
  
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• HIV-AIDS: Following your gut

  18-09-2017 15:07
  Researchers find a way to reduce replication of the AIDS virus in the gastrointestinal tract.
  
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• Genetically altered mice bear some hallmarks of human bipolar behavior

  18-09-2017 15:07
  Researchers have genetically engineered mice that display many of the behavioral hallmarks of human bipolar disorder, and that the abnormal behaviors the rodents show can be reversed using well-established drug treatments for bipolar disorder, such as lithium.
  
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• Congenital hyperinsulinism: A serious yet poorly understood condition

  18-09-2017 15:07
  Diabetes is characterized by a deficiency of insulin. The opposite is the case in congenital hyperinsulinism: patients produce the hormone in excessive quantities. This leads to chronic hypoglycemia. The disorder can lead to serious brain damage and even death in the worst cases.
  
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• A fat-regulating enzyme could hold the key to obesity, diabetes, cancer, other diseases

  18-09-2017 15:07
  It had already been known that the enzyme known as phosphatidic acid phosphatase plays a crucial role in regulating the amount of fat in the human body. Controlling it is therefore of interest in the fight against obesity. But scientists have now found that getting rid of the enzyme entirely can increase the risk of cancer, inflammation and other ills.
  
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• Canada to study how solar storms impact power grids, banks, satellites

  18-09-2017 14:20 via cbc.ca
  The Canadian Space Agency is planning to undertake a first-of-its-kind study on the impact of space weather on the country's infrastructure.
  
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• A new test of water ripples supports the idea of quantum heat in a vacuum

  18-09-2017 13:00
  
  Water waves bolster theory that accelerating space travelers really feel the heat.
  
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• The Social Life of Opioids

  18-09-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  New studies strengthen ties between loss, pain and drug use
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Right whale rescuers wary in wake of death, but anxious for work to resume

  18-09-2017 12:04 via cbc.ca
  One of the men who developed whale disentanglement techniques says the death of a New Brunswick fisherman was a wake up call, but the value of the rescues is critical for the long term survival of the species.
  
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• Right whale rescuers wary in wake of death, anxious for work to resume

  18-09-2017 12:04 via cbc.ca
  One of the men who developed whale disentanglement techniques says the death of a New Brunswick fisherman was a wake up call, but the value of the rescues is critical for the long term survival of the species.
  
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• Ancient Canadian meteor strike created hottest rock on Earth

  18-09-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  Millions of years ago, a city-sized asteroid smashed into Labrador with so much force that it heated rocks to a whopping 2,370 C — the hottest temperature ever known for a rock on the surface of the Earth, scientists say.
  
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• The man trying to save bats' lives

  18-09-2017 10:04 via bbc.co.uk
  Meet Dr Matt Zeale who is leading a team of conservationists tracking the rare barbastrelle bat.
  
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• World first: 'Storing lightning inside thunder'

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Sydney) In a world first, University of Sydney researchers have stored photonic information on a microchip as an acoustic wave. This allows precious extra time to store, process and then redistribute the data without relying on electronics, which produce excess heat. Such a hybrid chip could have a huge impact in cloud computing and telecommunication centres, which are overheating as we churn through data on our phones.
  
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• Wireless food stamp transactions tied to healthier shopping

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (NYU Langone Health / NYU School of Medicine) New research links the equipping of mobile fruit and vegetable stands with wireless banking devices programmed to accept food stamps to the buying of more healthy foods by people with low incomes.
  
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• Why bad sleep doesn't always lead to depression

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Duke University) Poor sleep is both a risk factor, and a common symptom, of depression. But not everyone who tosses and turns at night becomes depressed. Individuals whose brains are more attuned to rewards may be protected from the negative mental health effects of poor sleep, says a new study by Duke University neuroscientists.
  
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• When radio galaxies collide, supermassive black holes form tightly bound pairs

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Rochester Institute of Technology) Supermassive black holes found in the centers of galaxies can form gravitationally bound pairs when galaxies merge, according to a study published in the Sept. 18 issue of Nature Astronomy.
  
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• When caring for a sick pet becomes too much

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Kent State University) The mental and physical stress on individuals caring for elderly loved ones with chronic and terminal disease is well-documented and known as caregiver burden. It is linked to depression, anxiety and poor quality of life. There are ways to prevent and treat it. But what about caregivers of pets with chronic and terminal diseases? Do they carry the same level of stress and burden?
  
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• What motivates men to donate sperm online? World-first QUT study

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Queensland University of Technology) A world-first Queensland University of Technology study into online sperm donor behavior has revealed the importance men place on their family, friends and the risks associated with donation, has little impact on their motivation or psychology when choosing to donate their sperm to women they meet online.
  
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• Welfare of zoo animals set to improve

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Surrey) The wellbeing of zoological animals is set to improve following the successful trial of a new welfare assessment grid, a new study in the journal Veterinary Record reports.
  
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• Wait-and-see strategy pays off, incentives needed for risk takers

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) Some people are quick to purchase the latest technology or sign up for a new service. Others adopt a wait-and-see strategy. A recent study by University of Illinois economist Hope Michelson, finds this is true for farmers in Nicaragua who enter into contracts with Walmart.
  
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• VTT is developing 3-D-printing materials for wound care and decorative elements

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland) Cellulose nanofibrils have properties that can improve the characteristics of bio-based 3-D-printing pastes. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is developing a 3-D wound care product for monitoring wound condition in hospital care.
  
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• VLA begins huge project of cosmic discovery

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (National Radio Astronomy Observatory) The largest observing project in the history of the VLA will produce the sharpest radio view ever made of such a huge portion of the sky. Images will be provided to the research community as they are produced.
  
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• VIMS contributes to 'King Tide' mapping project

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Virginia Institute of Marine Science) 'Dress rehearsal' will help quantify local flooding risk and validate storm-surge models, while laying groundwork for a long-term network of volunteer data collectors.
  
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• Video game boosts sex health IQ and attitudes in minority teens

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Yale University) A video game designed by Yale researchers to promote health and reduce risky behavior in teens improves sexual health knowledge and attitudes among minority youth, according to a new study. The findings validate the value of the video game as a tool to engage and educate teens at risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, said the researchers.
  
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• Vaping doubles risk of smoking cigarettes for teens

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Waterloo) Teenagers who try e-cigarettes double their risk for smoking tobacco cigarettes, according to a new study. The study -- from the University of Waterloo and the Wake Forest School of Medicine -- found that students in grades seven to 12 who had tried an e-cigarette are 2.16 times more likely to be susceptible to cigarette smoking.
  
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• UC3M spinoff develops new ultra-fast 3-D microscope

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid) A new microscope that can capture 3-D images of live organisms in real time: this is the QIs-scope, an innovation from a spinoff of Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), 4D Nature. The microscope can be used in biomedical research or to improve clinical diagnosis procedures.
  
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• Two Americas: Seniors are getting healthier but most gains go to high-income whites

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Michigan) Older Americans report feeling dramatically healthier than they did 14 years ago but that good health isn't evenly distributed, with much of the gain going to the wealthiest, most highly educated and whites.
  
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• Tracing trends could lead to better public health education

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Penn State) The educated members of a population are the trailblazers of risky behavior, but they are quicker to change their habits once the consequences of that behavior become better understood, according to new research from Penn State, which could also have implications on how public health education is approached.
  
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• Suffocation risk from small hard sugar balls

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (BfR Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) assessed the possible health risks of large hard sugar balls back in 2010. The focus was in particular on the size from which the balls (when sucked to a small size) can slide from the oral cavity into the throat under unfavourable circumstances, resulting a blocking of the airways.
  
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• Study finds that most older adults are aware of medication risks

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (American Geriatrics Society) Most older adults are aware of medication risks, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
  
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• Step towards better 'beyond lithium' batteries

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Bath) A step towards new 'beyond lithium' rechargeable batteries with superior performance has been made by researchers at the University of Bath.
  
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• 'Smart meters need a rapid rethink,' say Bath researchers

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Bath) Researchers from the University of Bath have highlighted the limitations of the current £11 billion smart meter roll out and developed their own intuitive 'smarter' smart meter, providing home owners with significant energy savings.
  
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• Sexual behavior in Germany

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Deutsches Aerzteblatt International) A sexual history and consultation in the practice setting can contribute to counteracting the spread of sexually transmitted infections. This is the result of a representative survey that questioned 2524 persons about their sexual practices and sexual contacts outside their main relationships, as well as about contraceptive measures, whose results Julia Haversath and coauthors summarize in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch A
  
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• Sex and aggression controlled separately in female animal brains, but overlap in male brains

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (NYU Langone Health / NYU School of Medicine) Brain structures that control sexual and aggressive behavior in mice are wired differently in females than in males.
  
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• Secrets of bright, rapidly spinning star revealed

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (University of New South Wales) Almost 50 years after it was first predicted that rapidly rotating stars would emit polarized light, a UNSW Sydney-led team of scientists has succeeded in observing the phenomenon for the first time. They used a highly sensitive piece of equipment designed and built at UNSW and attached to the Anglo-Australian Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in western NSW to detect the polarized light from Regulus, one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
  
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• Scientists demonstrated 1.3 μm submilliamp threshold quantum dot micro-lasers on Si

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) A group of researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and University of California, Santa Barbara, successfully demonstrated record-small electrically pumped micro-lasers epitaxially grown on industry standard (001) silicon substrates in a recent study. A submilliamp threshold of 0.6 mA, emitting at the near-infrared (1.3?m) was achieved for a micro-laser with a radius of 5 μm. The thresholds and footprints are orders o
  
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• Rosetrees Trust Interdisciplinary Prize awarded to Hebrew University scientists

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) The Rosetrees Trust Interdisciplinary Prize for 2017 has been awarded to two scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Prof. Yaakov Nahmias and Prof. Nir Friedman, for their research proposal to engineer a platform that mimics the physiological dynamics of human metabolism. The research will be instrumental to drug development, offering a route to the rational design of therapeutics for obesity, fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes.
  
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• RoboTutor team wins $1 million as Global Learning XPRIZE finalist

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Carnegie Mellon University) RoboTutor LLC, a Carnegie Mellon spinoff created by Professor Jack Mostow, was named one of five Global Learning XPRIZE finalists for its RoboTutor software, educational technology that teaches children basic math and reading skills.
  
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• RNA discovery could help boost plant heat, drought tolerance

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Texas A&M AgriLife Communications) The discovery of a RNA that can increase drought and salt tolerance in thale cress could illuminate a new research approach and hold implications for other plants, including food crops.
  
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• Risk of lung cancer death by smoking status among patients with HIV

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (The JAMA Network Journals) A new article published in JAMA Internal Medicine projects risk of lung cancer death by smoking status among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and receiving care for HIV.
  
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• Researchers unlock potential pathway to treat flesh-eating bacteria

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Houston Methodist) Researchers at Houston Methodist have solved a 100-year-old mystery, providing them a possible key to unlock a pathway for treating diseases caused by flesh-eating bacteria. Muthiah Kumaraswami and his team at Houston Methodist Research Institute found a critical target on which to focus for developing a potential Group A Streptococcus vaccine or antibiotic to fight it. By manipulating this target, they hope to either reduce the severity of these infections or clear them up f
  
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• Researchers learn more about maximizing brain use

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (National Research University Higher School of Economics) Neuroscientists from Higher School of Economics and Charité University Clinic in Berlin have come up with a new multivariate method for predicting behavioural response to a stimulus using information about the phase of preceding neuronal oscillations recorded with EEG. The method may eventually find practical application in fields such as competitive sports, education and patient treatment. The study's findings are published in the
  
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• Researchers integrate wireless high-speed data and power transfer

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (North Carolina State University) Researchers have developed a system that can simultaneously deliver watts of power and transmit data at rates high enough to stream video over the same wireless connection. By integrating power and high-speed data, a true single 'wireless' connection can be achieved.
  
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• Research testing digital ways to reduce MS-related fatigue nets $4.9 million award

  18-09-2017 06:00
  (Case Western Reserve University) With geographic barriers limiting treatment options for many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) , a Case Western Reserve University researcher will use a new $4.9 million award to test online- and teleconference-based adaptations of methods that reduce fatigue and improve quality of life when delivered in person.
  
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