Science news

• Post-concussion brain changes persist even after pre-teen hockey players return to play

  25-10-2017 22:34
  Young hockey players who have suffered concussions may still show changes in the white matter of the brain months after being cleared to return to play, researchers have found through sophisticated Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques.
  
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• Satellite captures images of vast clouds on Mars

  25-10-2017 22:27 via cbc.ca
  A European satellite in orbit around Mars since 2003 has captured images of large water-ice and dust clouds across Mars.
  
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• This is the lightest robot that can fly, swim and take off from water

  25-10-2017 22:05
  
  Lightweight, insect-inspired robot can swim, fly and leap from the surface of water.
  
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• Soylent can no longer be sold in Canada, food inspection agency rules

  25-10-2017 21:54 via cbc.ca
  Soylent, the meal replacement drink that's been called both "the future of food" in breathless headlines and "the end of food" by the New Yorker, can't be shipped to Canadian consumers anymore due to a failure to meet federal food regulations.
  
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• Ancient Papua New Guinea skull called oldest-known tsunami victim

  25-10-2017 21:45
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A mysterious partial skull unearthed in Papua New Guinea in 1929 that once was thought to belong to an extinct human species now turns out to have another unique distinction. Scientists believe it belongs to the oldest-known human tsunami victim.
  
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• Immune cells help rebuild damaged nerves

  25-10-2017 21:33
  Immune cells are normally associated with fighting infection but in a new study, scientists have discovered how they also help the nervous system clear debris, clearing the way for nerve regeneration after injury. Researchers have recently shown certain immune cells -- neutrophils -- can clean up nerve debris, while previous models have attributed nerve cell damage control to other cells entirely.
  
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• T. rex’s silly-looking arms were built for slashing

  25-10-2017 21:30
  
  Tyrannosaurus rex may have used its small arms for slashing prey.
  
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• Neuroscientists improve human memory by electrically stimulating brain

  25-10-2017 21:06
  Neuroscientists have discovered precisely where and how to electrically stimulate the human brain to enhance people's recollection of distinct memories.
  
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• Method of accelerating the maturation of stem cells to form neurons discovered

  25-10-2017 21:06
  Researchers have developed a promising technique that will facilitate the differentiation of stem cells into neurons.
  
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• 'Mega-carnivore' dinosaur roamed southern Africa 200 million years ago

  25-10-2017 21:06
  An international team of scientists has discovered the first evidence that a huge carnivorous dinosaur roamed southern Africa 200 million year ago.
  
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• Can open and honest scientists win public trust?

  25-10-2017 21:06
  With the increased politicization of science, more and more people continue to be skeptical of research, especially when it comes to hot-button topics such as climate change and vaccines. Now researchers wondered whether it would be better for scientists to acknowledge some of their personal or social values up front when reporting on their studies in order to gain trust.
  
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• 6,000-year-old skull could be from the world's earliest known tsunami victim

  25-10-2017 21:06
  Scientists have discovered what they believe is the skull of the earliest known tsunami victim, a person who lived 6,000 years ago in Papua New Guinea. The skull itself was found almost a hundred years ago, but recent analysis of the sediments found with the skull reveals that they bear distinctive hallmarks of tsunami activity.
  
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• Using high-nicotine e-cigarettes may boost vaping and smoking in teens

  25-10-2017 21:00
  
  Vaping higher concentrations of nicotine is linked to how much and how often teens smoke and vape months later, a new study finds.
  
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• Insect-sized robot can go from air to water and back again

  25-10-2017 20:28 via cbc.ca
  At just 175 milligrams, the 'Robobee' is inspired by nature and could be used in the future for search and rescue, monitoring water quality and tracking insects.
  
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• U.S. scientists unveil powerful new tools to fix genetic faults

  25-10-2017 20:18
  CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. scientists on Wednesday unveiled two new molecular editing tools designed to fix mutations that cause the majority of human genetic diseases, some of which have no known treatment.
  
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• New Gene-Editing "Pencil" Erases Disease-Causing Errors

  25-10-2017 20:15 via rss.sciam.com
  This tool could, in theory, fix genetic mistakes that lead to about 15,000 illnesses
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Investing in conservation pays off, study finds

  25-10-2017 20:11
  Governments and donors have spent billions of dollars since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit attempting to slow the pace of species extinctions around the world. Now, a new article provides the first clear evidence that those efforts are working.
  
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• Researchers engineer complex TCR immunotherapy that may target relapsing leukemia

  25-10-2017 20:05
  Researchers have developed a novel way to genetically engineer T cells that may be effective for treating and preventing leukemia relapse. The findings provide the basis for launching a first-in-human clinical trial of this new immunotherapy, which relies on engineered T-cell receptors, or TCRs.
  
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• Precise DNA editing made easy: New enzyme to rewrite the genome

  25-10-2017 20:05
  A new type of DNA editing enzyme lets scientists directly and permanently change single base pairs of DNA from A*T to G*C. The process could one day enable precise DNA surgery to correct mutations that cause human diseases.
  
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• Physicists have breakthrough on brittle smart phone screens

  25-10-2017 20:05
  New 'potato stamp' technique combining silver and graphene may create cheaper, more flexible and eco-friendly screens.
  
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• Oysters close their shells in response to low-frequency sounds

  25-10-2017 20:05
  Oysters rapidly close their shells in response to low-frequency sounds characteristic of marine noise pollution, according to a study.
  
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• New RoboBee flies, dives, swims and explodes out the of water

  25-10-2017 20:05
  A new, hybrid RoboBee can fly, dive into water, swim, propel itself back out of water, and safely land. Floating devices allow this multipurpose air-water microrobot to stabilize on the water's surface before an internal combustion system ignites to propel it back into the air. This latest-generation RoboBee, which is 1,000 times lighter than any previous aerial-to-aquatic robot, could be used for numerous applications, from search-and-rescue operations to environmental monitoring and biological
  
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• It's all about the mix: Plastic and metal-organic frameworks partner for sensing, storage

  25-10-2017 20:05
  A marriage between 3-D printer plastic and a versatile hybrid material for detecting and storing gases could lead to inexpensive sensors and fuel cell batteries alike.
  
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• Flu forecasting tool uses evolution to make earlier predictions

  25-10-2017 20:05
  A new flu forecasting tool aims to make better predictions by combining data about how the virus spreads with an estimate of how much the current virus evolved compared to recent years. The new model accurately predicted the total number of cases for each season in the US from 2002 to 2016, and produced an accurate, real-time prediction for the 2016-17 season before it started last year.
  
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• First Jurassic ichthyosaur fossil found in India

  25-10-2017 20:05
  A new near-complete fossilized skeleton is thought to represent the first Jurassic ichthyosaur found in India.
  
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• 'Double decker' antibody technology fights cancer

  25-10-2017 20:05
  Scientists have created a new class of antibody-drug conjugates for cancer therapy, outlines a new report.
  
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• Continuous EEG better at identifying oxygen-deprived newborns most at risk

  25-10-2017 20:05
  Continuously recording the brain's electrical signals and examining how those impulses evolve over time is a more reliable way to identify infants at risk for brain injury, compared with doing snapshot evaluations, according to a prospective cohort study.
  
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• Alvarezsaurid dinosaur from the late Cretaceous found in Uzbekistan

  25-10-2017 20:05
  Bones from an Alvarezsaurid dinosaur were discovered in Uzbekistan and could shed light on the evolution and origin of the species, according to a new study.
  
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• 'Scars' left by icebergs record West Antarctic ice retreat

  25-10-2017 20:04
  Thousands of marks on the Antarctic seafloor, caused by icebergs which broke free from glaciers more than ten thousand years ago, show how part of the Antarctic Ice Sheet retreated rapidly at the end of the last ice age as it balanced precariously on sloping ground and became unstable.
  
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• Models clarify physics at photocathode surfaces

  25-10-2017 20:04
  Advances in materials science have improved the composition of materials used in photocathode production that can operate at visible wavelengths and produce a beam with reduced transverse electron momentum spread; however, the surface roughness of the photocathode continues to limit beam properties. Researchers created computer models to bridge the gap to provide a better picture of the physics at the surface of the photocathode.
  
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• How to turn damaged heart tissue back into healthy heart muscle: New details emerge

  25-10-2017 20:04
  Researchers show how their new research platform helped them discover new cell subpopulations and crucial cellular players in the process of turning damaged heart tissue back into healthy heart muscle. The research platform could be used to study other biological processes and create tailored therapies.
  
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• Comet mission reveals 'missing link' in our understanding of planet formation

  25-10-2017 20:04
  The missing link in our understanding of planet formation has been revealed by the first ever spacecraft to orbit and land on a comet, say scientists.
  
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• Space-Based Test Proves Light's Quantum Weirdness

  25-10-2017 20:00 via rss.sciam.com
  Lasers bounced off satellites replicate classic “delayed choice” experiment
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Light’s weird dual nature weathers trip to space and back

  25-10-2017 20:00
  
  “Delayed-choice” experiment performed in space reaffirms the idea that light can behave like a wave or a particle.
  
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• Mature B lymphocytes accelerate the healing of diabetic ulcers, other skin injuries

  25-10-2017 19:54
  A research team has found a surprising potential solution to a persistent clinical problem -- the healing of chronic wounds. The researchers report that application of mature B lymphocytes -- best known for producing antibodies -- greatly accelerated the healing of acute and chronic wounds in both diabetic and nondiabetic mice.
  
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• Scientists work toward reversible kind of gene editing

  25-10-2017 19:51 via cbc.ca
  Scientists are altering a powerful gene-editing technology in hopes of one day fighting diseases without making permanent changes to people's DNA.
  
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• Ichthyosaur fossil discovered for first time in India

  25-10-2017 19:38 via bbc.co.uk
  The fossil, which is 152 million years old, is the first ichthyosaur found in India.
  
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• Why thousands of Bittell Reservoir fish are moving home

  25-10-2017 19:07 via bbc.co.uk
  Hundreds of thousands of fish are being taken out of one of the Midlands' largest reservoirs.
  
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• New CRISPR gene editors can fix RNA and DNA one typo at a time

  25-10-2017 19:00
  
  New gene editors can correct common typos that lead to disease.
  
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• 'Incredible' editing of life's building blocks

  25-10-2017 19:00 via bbc.co.uk
  The studies could lead to new treatments for inherited diseases.
  
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• Timing could matter to how responsive cancer cells are to treatment

  25-10-2017 18:27
  The timing of when DNA damage occurs within these different checkpoints matters to a cell’s fate, report scientists.
  
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• Science and Technology Museum reopening with new sensory exhibit

  25-10-2017 18:27 via cbc.ca
  The Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa reopens Nov. 17 with an interactive exhibit called "Medical Sensations," a chance for visitors to use all their senses as they explore advancements in medicine through the ages.
  
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• Hacking the bacterial social network

  25-10-2017 18:27
  Scientists have determined the molecular structures of a highly specialized set of proteins that are used by a strain of E. coli bacteria to communicate and defend their turf.
  
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• Marine microbiology: Scavenging to survive below the seafloor

  25-10-2017 18:26
  Microorganisms living in the sediments buried below the seafloor obtain their nutrients by using secreted enzymes to degrade adsorbed detritus. A new study shows that in order to survive for long time scales, microorganisms eat one another after they die.
  
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• Helicobacter pylori: Dodging the bullet

  25-10-2017 18:26
  Helicobacter pylori is a widespread bacterial pathogen that infects the lining of the stomach, where it can cause ulcers and even cancer. As a new study shows, its genetic variability complicates efforts to develop an effective vaccine.
  
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• Students fortify concrete by adding recycled plastic

  25-10-2017 18:24
  By exposing plastic flakes to small, harmless doses of gamma radiation, then pulverizing the flakes into a fine powder, scientists can mix the plastic with cement paste to produce concrete that is up to 20 percent stronger than conventional concrete.
  
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• Side-effect after antibiotics: Bacterial toxins can be made in the gut

  25-10-2017 18:24
  You get an infection, you are given penicillin -- and then you could get hemorrhagic diarrhea. This rare but extremely unpleasant side reaction can be related to the enterotoxin tilivalline produced by a regular intestinal bacterium. Scientists have now scrutinized the toxin's biosynthetic pathway.
  
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• New fractal-like concentrating solar power receivers are better at absorbing sunlight

  25-10-2017 18:24
  Engineers have developed new fractal-like, concentrating solar power receivers for small- to medium-scale use that are up to 20 percent more effective at absorbing sunlight than current technology.
  
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• Do tanning salons comply with state laws restricting access to minors?

  25-10-2017 18:24
  Researchers posed as minors to investigate compliance rates in 42 states and the District of Columbia with laws restricting tanning bed use by minors and they report an overall noncompliance rate of 37 percent, according to an article.
  
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• Does timing of IVF to avoid weekend procedures affects pregnancy success?

  25-10-2017 18:22
  It's unclear whether there is a need to retrieve a woman's eggs on weekends, in connection with in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) treatment in couples wishing to conceive.
  
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