Science news

• We’re more Neandertal than we thought

  10-10-2017 23:30
  
  Neandertals contributed more to human traits than previously thought.
  
  Read more

• 'A classic British icon': Red phone booths get new lease on life thanks to former Calgarian

  10-10-2017 20:45 via cbc.ca
  They may not be used for their original purpose much anymore, but a former Calgarian says those iconic red phone booths scattered around London are a perfect fit for a new business venture.
  
  Read more

• Temperature-activated ion channels in neural crest cells confer maternal fever-associated birth defects

  10-10-2017 20:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Birth defects of the heart and face are common, and most have no known genetic cause, suggesting a role for environmental factors. Maternal fever during the first trimester is an environmental risk factor linked to these defects. Neural crest cells are precursor populations essential to the development of both at-risk tissues. We report that two heat-activated transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels, TRPV1 and TRPV4, were present in neural crest cells during critical windows of heart and
  
  Read more

• Papers of note in Science Translational Medicine 9 (410)

  10-10-2017 20:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s article and a review describe ways to potentially improve immunotherapy for cancer patients.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Papers of note in Nature 550 (7674)

  10-10-2017 20:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s articles highlight retrograde semaphorin signaling at synapses; a driver of age-related decreases in lipolysis; and a mechanism by which melanoma cells become resistant to combined therapies.
  
  Read more

• New connections: Pregnancy-specific signaling

  10-10-2017 20:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Three papers highlight the cross-talk that occurs between mother and fetus during pregnancy.
  
  Read more

• Highlight: Antitumor strategies

  10-10-2017 20:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Two papers highlight potential ways to boost the antitumor immune response.
  
  Read more

• Foxo1 and Foxp1 play opposing roles in regulating the differentiation and antitumor activity of TH9 cells programmed by IL-7

  10-10-2017 20:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Tumor-specific CD4+ T helper 9 (TH9) cells, so-called because of their production of the cytokine interleukin-9 (IL-9), are a powerful effector T cell subset for cancer immunotherapy. We found that pretreatment of naïve CD4+ T cells with IL-7 further enhanced their differentiation into TH9 cells and augmented their antitumor activity. IL-7 markedly increased the abundance of the histone acetyltransferase p300 by activating the STAT5 and PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathways and promoting the ac
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Dual enhancement of T and NK cell function by pulsatile inhibition of SHIP1 improves antitumor immunity and survival

  10-10-2017 20:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The success of immunotherapy in some cancer patients has revealed the profound capacity for cytotoxic lymphocytes to eradicate malignancies. Various immunotherapies work by blocking key checkpoint proteins that suppress immune cell activity. The phosphatase SHIP1 (SH2-containing inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase) limits signaling from receptors that activate natural killer (NK) cells and T cells. However, unexpectedly, genetic ablation studies have shown that the effector functions of SHIP1-d
  
  Read more

• Why British scientists are watching Iceland's volcanoes

  10-10-2017 19:43 via bbc.co.uk
  A team of British scientists fly around Iceland's volcanoes to find out how to avoid future air traffic disruption.
  
  Read more

• Spacewalk at the International Space Station LIVE

  10-10-2017 18:30 via cbc.ca
  NASA's coverage of ISS Expedition 53, Spacewalk #45
  
  Read more

• Liberals narrow list of contenders for 'supercluster' innovation hubs to 9

  10-10-2017 17:32 via cbc.ca
  The Liberal government has whittled down the list of contenders bidding to be one of five groups approved under a $950-million "supercluster" initiative, a key part of its innovation agenda.
  
  Read more

• Clothed in green

  10-10-2017 17:05 via bbc.co.uk
  We continue to buy new clothes at an incredible rate. How can manufacturers reduce fashion's environmental footprint?
  
  Read more

• Can we make fashion greener?

  10-10-2017 17:05 via bbc.co.uk
  We continue to buy new clothes at an incredible rate. How can manufacturers reduce fashion's environmental footprint?
  
  Read more

• Google uncovers Russia-backed ads on YouTube, Gmail

  10-10-2017 14:24 via cbc.ca
  Google has discovered Russian operatives spent tens of thousands of dollars on ads on its YouTube, Gmail and Google Search products in an effort to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
  
  Read more

• Why regulating Facebook is inevitable: technology expert

  10-10-2017 13:00 via cbc.ca
  "Facebook probably merited regulation anyway but by its reaction to the election controversy, it has in effect invited it to come much sooner."
  
  Read more

• New deep-sea sponge could play a starring role in monitoring ocean health

  10-10-2017 13:00
  
  A new species of sponge that dwells on metal-rich rocks could help scientists track the environmental impact of deep-sea mining.
  
  Read more

• Culture Shock: Precious Microbe Collections Languish in Threatened Bio-Libraries

  10-10-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  Vanishing public repositories of microbes, both beneficial and deadly, have been essential for advances such as penicillin and CRISPR
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Siberian blue robin excites bird watchers in Orkney

  10-10-2017 12:27 via bbc.co.uk
  The sighting in North Ronaldsay is believed to be the first time an adult male Siberian blue robin has been seen in the UK.
  
  Read more

• Scientists find 50 kinds of wild hops growing in Maritimes

  10-10-2017 12:00 via cbc.ca
  Researchers from Agriculture Canada have collected more than 50 varieties of wild hops from across the Maritimes. Now they're putting them under the microscope to find which ones will make the best brew.
  
  Read more

• Mom on quest to unlock son's digital accounts 3 years after he was found dead in Lake Ontario

  10-10-2017 12:00 via cbc.ca
  Three years after her missing son was found dead along Toronto's harbourfront, Maureen Henry is taking legal action to unlock his digital accounts in a search for clues about the moments before his disappearance.
  
  Read more

• Japan launches fourth satellite for high-precision GPS

  10-10-2017 10:12
  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan on Tuesday launched a fourth satellite for a new high-precision global positioning system (GPS) it hopes will encourage new businesses and help spur economic growth.
  
  Read more

• Without a nudge, old prescribing habits die hard for clinicians

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (University of Southern California) An update to a behavioral economics study on clinicians' prescriptions of antibiotics showed that the clinicians may, without long-term interventions, return to bad prescription habits.
  
  Read more

• What is a safe following distance?

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (Queensland University of Technology) Confusion over what is a 'safe following distance' has QUT road safety researchers calling for a standardised definition to prevent tailgating. Dr Sebastien Demmel, from QUT's Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety -- Queensland (CARRS-Q), said the results of the study which found 50 per cent of drivers tailgate, was being presented at the 2017 Australasian Road Safety Conference in Perth.
  
  Read more

• UTA wins funding to help first-generation, low-income, minority undergraduates

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (University of Texas at Arlington) The University of Texas at Arlington received a $1.4 million, five-year grant from the US Department of Education to further the efforts of the McNair Scholars program. The program assists undergraduate students who are first-generation college students, from low-income and minority populations, in continuing their education and pursuing master's and doctoral degrees.
  
  Read more

• This soft robotic gripper can screw in your light bulbs for you

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (University of California - San Diego) How many robots does it take to screw in a light bulb? The answer: just one, assuming you're talking about a new robotic gripper developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego.The engineering team has designed and built a gripper that can pick up and manipulate objects without needing to see them and needing to be trained.
  
  Read more

• The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology presents new concepts

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (SAGE) Providing students, scholars, and practitioners an introduction to the full scope of the field, SAGE Publishing announces the publication of The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology. The new 7-volume resource contains more than 1,400 signed articles that discuss essential approaches and theories, numerous mental health disorders, assessment tools and psychotherapeutic interventions, and the social, legal, and cultural foundations that have caused controversy in abnormal a
  
  Read more

• The right women for the job

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (University of Akron) Economists are continually examining the effect of the economy on women, but this male-dominated field seems to be failing to ask what impact women in turn have on the economy? Dr. Amanda Weinstein examines how women's participation in the workforce has affected economic growth and productivity in cities across the US Weinstein estimates that every 10% increase in female labor force participation rates increases average real wage growth in cities by approximately 5%.
  
  Read more

• The costs of transporting petroleum products by pipelines and rail

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (Carnegie Mellon University) While the policy debate surrounding crude oil transportation costs has emphasized accidents and spills, a new study by Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh researchers indicates the debate is overlooking a far more serious external cost -- air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
  
  Read more

• TB Alliance moves two novel tuberculosis drugs into human trials

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (Burness) TBA-7371 and sutezolid entered phase 1 clinical trials, TB Alliance announced today. Both compounds have proceeded through early preclinical development and were granted 'Investigative New Drug' status by the US Food and Drug Administration. The phase 1 clinical trials are presently ongoing.
  
  Read more

• Survey provides new directions for employment of people with disabilities

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (Kessler Foundation) Survey findings indicate that the majority of employers have processes and practices in place for the inclusion of employees with and without disabilities, and that the commitment to the success of employees with disabilities is shared by supervisors and upper management. The findings offer insight into how effective these processes and practices are for all employees, and point to new directions for expanding their availability, and increasing their effectiveness for indivi
  
  Read more

• Sharing of science is most likely among male scientists

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (University of Vienna) Even though science is becoming increasingly competitive, scientists are still very willing to share their work with colleagues. This is especially true for male scientists among each other and less so for females among each other or between the sexes. These patterns of sharing among scientists were discovered by a team of Austrian, Dutch and German researchers led by Jorg Massen of the University of Vienna.
  
  Read more

• Seeing the next dimension of computer chips

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (Osaka University) Japanese researchers used a scanning tunneling microscope to image the side-surfaces of 3-D silicon crystals for the first time. The pictures, captured with atomic-level of resolution, can help semiconductor manufacturers build the next generation of computer chips with three-dimensional features.
  
  Read more

• Security briefing: These 7 NJIT research initiatives take a bite out of cybercrime

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (New Jersey Institute of Technology) There are numerous projects underway on the NJIT campus that focus on, or have a significant component of, cybersecurity. Here's a look at 7 NJIT research initiatives that take a bite out of cybercrime.
  
  Read more

• Researchers map the illegal use of natural resources in the protected Brazilian Amazon

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (PeerJ) New research published in the open access peer-reviewed journal PeerJ uses law enforcement data collected from 2010 to 2015 to understand the geographical distribution of the illegal use of natural resources across the region's protected area network. In the study, a total of 4,243 reports of illegal use of natural resources were evaluated and mapped. These reports generated US $224.6 million in fines.
  
  Read more

• Researchers identify gene that influences nicotine dependence

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (RTI International) A DNA variant--located in the DNMT3B gene and commonly found in people of European and African descent--increases the likelihood of developing nicotine dependence, smoking heavily, and developing lung cancer, according to a new study led by RTI International.
  
  Read more

• Research to personalize pre- and probiotic Rx to reduce diseases linked to HIV and alcohol use

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center) The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has awarded LSU Health New Orleans a $401,500 grant over two years to study the role of gut bacteria in the development of heart and metabolic diseases in those with HIV who use alcohol, as well as devise strategies to address these risks.
  
  Read more

• Research explores relationship between social media and drinking

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (University of Houston) A psychologist at the University of Houston is exploring the ways in which social media influences alcohol consumption among college students. Mai-Ly Nguyen Steers, a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer, will use grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to study how social media, and Facebook in particular, shapes students' drinking habits.
  
  Read more

• Religious beliefs alone don't motivate people to political action, study finds

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (University of Kansas) A new study led by a University of Kansas researcher has found that religiosity by itself often serves as a deterrent rather than a mobilizing force for nonviolent political engagement.
  
  Read more

• Raging Bull: First study to find link between testosterone and stock market instability

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) In the U.S. today, the majority of professional stock market traders are young males and new evidence suggests biology strongly influences their trading behavior. According to a new study in the INFORMS journal Management Science, this could be a significant contributor to fluctuations in the market, as high testosterone levels can cause these traders to overestimate future stock values and change their trading behavior, leading to
  
  Read more

• Pest resistance to biotech crops surging

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (University of Arizona) Pest resistance to genetically engineered crops Bt crops is evolving faster now than before, UA researchers show in the most comprehensive study to date. But as expected from evolutionary theory, resistance can be delayed if farmers comply with recommendations to make use of abundant refuges.
  
  Read more

• Perinatal BPA exposure induces chronic inflammation by modulating gut bacteria

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (American Society for Microbiology) Emerging evidence from a research study in rabbits suggests that environmental toxicants may influence inflammation-promoted chronic disease susceptibility during early life. BPA exposure just before or after birth leads to reduced gut bacterial diversity, bacterial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and elevated gut permeability -- three common early markers of inflammation-promoted chronic diseases.
  
  Read more

• Parasite study paves way for therapies to tackle deadly infections

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (University of Edinburgh) New understanding of a parasite that causes a million cases of disease each year could point towards effective drug treatments.
  
  Read more

• Ovarian reserve tests fail to predict fertility, NIH-funded study suggests

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Tests that estimate ovarian reserve, or the number of a woman's remaining eggs, before menopause, do not appear to predict short-term chances of conception, according to a National Institutes of Health-funded study of women with no history of infertility. The study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
  
  Read more

• Older adults with insomnia may fall even more when on prescription sleep meds

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (Penn State) Taking physician-recommended sleep medications to treat insomnia may actually increase the risk of falling for older adults, according to a team of sleep researchers.
  
  Read more

• NREL evaluates charging infrastructure needs for growing fleet of electric vehicles

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) A new study from the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory quantifies how much charging infrastructure would be needed in the United States to support various market growth scenarios for plug-in electric vehicles.
  
  Read more

• New study is a step toward creating planes that travel at hypersonic speed

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (Binghamton University) A recent study by researchers at NASA and Binghamton University, State University of New York, could lead to a drastic decrease in flight times. The study, funded in part by the U.S. Air Force, is one of the first steps toward the creation of planes able to move at hypersonic speeds, five to 10 times the speed of sound.
  
  Read more

• New neurocognitive theory of dreaming links dreams to mind-wandering

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (University of California - Santa Cruz) In his new book, dream expert G. William Domhoff presents an integrated neurocognitive theory of dreams that is grounded in the similarities between dreaming and drifting waking thought.
  
  Read more

• NASA finds Tropical Depression 23W's strongest storms in two countries

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Tropical Depression 23W formed on Monday, Oct. 9 and by Tuesday, Oct. 10 it made landfall in northern Vietnam. NASA's Aqua satellite analyzed the depression in infrared light and determined the strongest storms were located in two countries.
  
  Read more

• NASA eyes the Development of Tropical Storm Ophelia

  10-10-2017 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Tropical Storm Ophelia developed on Oct. 9 around 5 a.m. EDT as the seventeenth, tropical depression of the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season. It formed in the Central Atlantic Ocean about 875 miles (1,405 km) west-southwest of the Azores islands. NASA's Terra satellite provided forecasters with a visible image of the storm as it strengthened into a tropical storm.
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!