Science news

• Astronomers Spot First-Ever Space Rock from Another Star

  26-10-2017 23:35 via rss.sciam.com
  As it departs the inner solar system, scientists are racing to study the object before it fades from view
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• Fossil footprints reveal existence of big early dinosaur predator

  26-10-2017 23:13
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A trail of fossilized three-toed footprints that measure nearly two feet (57 cm) long shows that a huge meat-eating dinosaur stalked southern Africa 200 million years ago at a time when most carnivorous dinosaurs were modest-sized beasts.
  
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• 'A year and a half of hell': Customers, businesses pay price for online reviews

  26-10-2017 22:47 via cbc.ca
  Sued by a contractor, dumped by a doctor, and denied a refund for a repair job that never happened: Go Public is hearing from Canadians facing payback for posting critical reviews online.
  
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• Twitter bans ads from two Russian media outlets, cites election meddling

  26-10-2017 22:13 via cbc.ca
  Twitter Inc. on Thursday accused two Russian media outlets of interfering in the 2016 U.S. election and banned them from buying ads on its network, after criticism the social network had not done enough to deter international meddling.
  
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• Freedom Mobile network will soon work with iPhones, other LTE devices, Shaw confirms

  26-10-2017 22:08 via cbc.ca
  Freedom Mobile, the wireless brand that Shaw Communications bought last year, says it has struck a deal with Apple that will allow its customers to use iPhones on its network, along with a much wider variety of other LTE devices.
  
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• New dinosaur sported a curious set of chompers

  26-10-2017 22:00
  
  Matheronodon provincialis, a newly described dinosaur, munched on tough plants with big scissors for teeth.
  
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• Dinosaur sported 'bandit mask'

  26-10-2017 20:11 via bbc.co.uk
  A dinosaur from China had a "bandit mask" pattern in the feather on its faces, fossil analysis has shown.
  
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• 'Bloodhound' car kicks off bid to speed into record books

  26-10-2017 20:06
  NEWQUAY, England (Reuters) - The Bloodhound Supersonic Car, effectively a fighter jet on wheels, on Thursday kicked off a bid to roar into the record books by eventually reaching 1,000 mph (1,610 kmh).
  
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• Nobel Prize–winning technique illuminates the fibers that set off battery fires

  26-10-2017 20:00
  
  Scientists get a closer look at the filaments that ruin lithium-ion batteries from the inside out.
  
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• What is consciousness, and could machines have it?

  26-10-2017 19:32
  The controversial question of whether machines may ever be conscious must be based on a careful consideration of how consciousness arises in the only physical system that undoubtedly possesses it: the human brain. We suggest that the word "consciousness" conflates two different types of information-processing computations in the brain: the selection of information for global broadcasting, thus making it flexibly available for computation and report (C1, consciousness in the first sense), and the
  
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• What constitutes the prefrontal cortex?

  26-10-2017 19:32
  During evolution, the prefrontal region grew in size relative to the rest of the cortex. It reached its largest extent in the human brain, where it constitutes 30% of the total cortical area. This growth was accompanied by phylogenetic differentiation of the cortical areas. It has been argued that the human brain holds prefrontal regions that are both qualitatively and functionally unique. Present-day neuroscientists studying the prefrontal cortex increasingly use mice. An important goal is to r
  
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• Tunable porous nanoallotropes prepared by post-assembly etching of binary nanoparticle superlattices

  26-10-2017 19:32
  Self-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles has been used to prepare hundreds of different colloidal crystals, but almost invariably with the restriction that the particles must be densely packed. Here, we show that non–close-packed nanoparticle arrays can be fabricated through the selective removal of one of two components comprising binary nanoparticle superlattices. First, a variety of binary nanoparticle superlattices were prepared at the liquid-air interface, including several arrangemen
  
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• Toughening elastomers using mussel-inspired iron-catechol complexes

  26-10-2017 19:32
  Materials often exhibit a trade-off between stiffness and extensibility; for example, strengthening elastomers by increasing their cross-link density leads to embrittlement and decreased toughness. Inspired by cuticles of marine mussel byssi, we circumvent this inherent trade-off by incorporating sacrificial, reversible iron-catechol cross-links into a dry, loosely cross-linked epoxy network. The iron-containing network exhibits two to three orders of magnitude increases in stiffness, tensile st
  
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• The emperors new wardrobe: Rebalancing diversity of animal models in neuroscience research

  26-10-2017 19:32
  The neuroscience field is steaming ahead, fueled by a revolution in cutting-edge technologies. Concurrently, another revolution has been underway—the diversity of species utilized for neuroscience research is sharply declining, as the field converges on a few selected model organisms. Here, from the perspective of a young scientist, I naively ask: Is the great diversity of questions in neuroscience best studied in only a handful of animal models? I review some of the limitations the field
  
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• Space and time in the brain

  26-10-2017 19:32
  Nothing is more intuitive, yet more complex, than the concepts of space and time. In contrast to spacetime in physics, space and time in neuroscience remain separate coordinates to which we attach our observations. Investigators of navigation and memory relate neuronal activity to position, distance, time point, and duration and compare these parameters to units of measuring instruments. Although spatial-temporal sequences of brain activity often correlate with distance and duration measures, th
  
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• Size effect in ion transport through angstrom-scale slits

  26-10-2017 19:32
  In the field of nanofluidics, it has been an ultimate but seemingly distant goal to controllably fabricate capillaries with dimensions approaching the size of small ions and water molecules. We report ion transport through ultimately narrow slits that are fabricated by effectively removing a single atomic plane from a bulk crystal. The atomically flat angstrom-scale slits exhibit little surface charge, allowing elucidation of the role of steric effects. We find that ions with hydrated diameters
  
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• Second messenger-mediated tactile response by a bacterial rotary motor

  26-10-2017 19:32
  When bacteria encounter surfaces, they respond with surface colonization and virulence induction. The mechanisms of bacterial mechanosensation and downstream signaling remain poorly understood. Here, we describe a tactile sensing cascade in Caulobacter crescentus in which the flagellar motor acts as sensor. Surface-induced motor interference stimulated the production of the second messenger cyclic diguanylate by the motor-associated diguanylate cyclase DgcB. This led to the allosteric activation
  
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• Response to Comment on "The extent of forest in dryland biomes"

  26-10-2017 19:32
  Schepaschenko et al. question our findings, claiming that we did not refer to all existing maps and that we did not account for all sources of uncertainty. In our response, we detail our selection criteria for reference maps, which clarify why the work of Schepaschenko et al. was not used, and we explain why our uncertainty assessment is complete and how it was misunderstood by Schepaschenko et al.
  
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• Potent peptidic fusion inhibitors of influenza virus

  26-10-2017 19:32
  Influenza therapeutics with new targets and mechanisms of action are urgently needed to combat potential pandemics, emerging viruses, and constantly mutating strains in circulation. We report here on the design and structural characterization of potent peptidic inhibitors of influenza hemagglutinin. The peptide design was based on complementarity-determining region loops of human broadly neutralizing antibodies against the hemagglutinin (FI6v3 and CR9114). The optimized peptides exhibit nanomola
  
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• Plasmepsins IX and X are essential and druggable mediators of malaria parasite egress and invasion

  26-10-2017 19:32
  Proteases of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have long been investigated as drug targets. The P. falciparum genome encodes 10 aspartic proteases called plasmepsins, which are involved in diverse cellular processes. Most have been studied extensively but the functions of plasmepsins IX and X (PMIX and PMX) were unknown. Here we show that PMIX is essential for erythrocyte invasion, acting on rhoptry secretory organelle biogenesis. In contrast, PMX is essential for both egress and invasi
  
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• Obstruction of pilus retraction stimulates bacterial surface sensing

  26-10-2017 19:32
  It is critical for bacteria to recognize surface contact and initiate physiological changes required for surface-associated lifestyles. Ubiquitous microbial appendages called pili are involved in sensing surfaces and facilitating downstream behaviors, but the mechanism by which pili mediate surface sensing has been unclear. We visualized Caulobacter crescentus pili undergoing dynamic cycles of extension and retraction. Within seconds of surface contact, these cycles ceased, which coincided with
  
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• N{varepsilon}-Fatty acylation of Rho GTPases by a MARTX toxin effector

  26-10-2017 19:32
  The multifunctional autoprocessing repeats-in-toxin (MARTX) toxins are a family of large toxins that are extensively distributed in bacterial pathogens. MARTX toxins are autocatalytically cleaved to multiple effector domains, which are released into host cells to modulate the host signaling pathways. The Rho guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) inactivation domain (RID), a conserved effector domain of MARTX toxins, is implicated in cell rounding by disrupting the host actin cytoskeleton. We found t
  
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• Comment on "The extent of forest in dryland biomes"

  26-10-2017 19:32
  Bastin et al. (Reports, 12 May 2017, p. 635) claim to have discovered 467 million hectares of new dryland forest. We would argue that these additional areas are not completely "new" and that some have been reported before. A second shortcoming is that not all sources of uncertainty are considered; the uncertainty could be much higher than the reported value of 3.5%.
  
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• Big data and the industrialization of neuroscience: A safe roadmap for understanding the brain?

  26-10-2017 19:32
  New technologies in neuroscience generate reams of data at an exponentially increasing rate, spurring the design of very-large-scale data-mining initiatives. Several supranational ventures are contemplating the possibility of achieving, within the next decade(s), full simulation of the human brain.
  
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• Atomic structure of sensitive battery materials and interfaces revealed by cryo-electron microscopy

  26-10-2017 19:32
  Whereas standard transmission electron microscopy studies are unable to preserve the native state of chemically reactive and beam-sensitive battery materials after operation, such materials remain pristine at cryogenic conditions. It is then possible to atomically resolve individual lithium metal atoms and their interface with the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). We observe that dendrites in carbonate-based electrolytes grow along the <111> (preferred), <110>, or <211> direc
  
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• A multistage antimalarial targets the plasmepsins IX and X essential for invasion and egress

  26-10-2017 19:32
  Regulated exocytosis by secretory organelles is important for malaria parasite invasion and egress. Many parasite effector proteins, including perforins, adhesins, and proteases, are extensively proteolytically processed both pre- and postexocytosis. Here we report the multistage antiplasmodial activity of the aspartic protease inhibitor hydroxyl-ethyl-amine–based scaffold compound 49c. This scaffold inhibits the preexocytosis processing of several secreted rhoptry and microneme proteins b
  
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• Earth is fragile, pope tells astronauts who see planet from "eyes of God"

  26-10-2017 18:46
  VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The earth is a fragile thing that could even destroy itself, Pope Francis told astronauts on the International Space Station on Thursday, saying they had an opportunity to see the planet "from the eyes of God".
  
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• B.C. premier appoints top deputy to review 'integrity' of fish farm testing lab

  26-10-2017 18:11 via cbc.ca
  Premier John Horgan has appointed Don Wright to review British Columbia's animal testing laboratory after concerns were raised about a potential conflict of interest.
  
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• Bloodhound car tested ahead of 1,000mph record attempt

  26-10-2017 18:07 via bbc.co.uk
  The 'world's fastest car' goes through its first public tests ahead of a land speed record attempt.
  
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• Climate change may threaten these bamboo-eating lemurs

  26-10-2017 18:00
  
  Longer dry spells and more nutrient-poor bamboo might eventually doom the greater bamboo lemur, a critically endangered species.
  
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• Saudi fund agrees plan to invest in Virgin space ventures

  26-10-2017 17:59
  RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund plans to invest about $1 billion in Richard Branson's space company, Virgin Galactic,and sister companies The Spaceship Company and Virgin Orbit, according to a joint statement published on Thursday.
  
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• Canada's fossil fuel use to peak in 2019, National Energy Board now projects

  26-10-2017 17:53 via cbc.ca
  The National Energy Board now projects fossil fuel use in Canada will peak in 2019, a major downward revision of similar estimates it has made annually for the past decade.
  
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• Former Nova Scotia MP takes top job at conservation group WWF

  26-10-2017 16:19 via cbc.ca
  Two years after losing her seat in the federal election, Megan Leslie is taking a job as the CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada.
  
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• Pope Francis lets the world eavesdrop on his phone call with astronauts

  26-10-2017 15:00 via cbc.ca
  Pope Francis called the astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station Thursday, letting the world eavesdrop as they discussed love and The Little Prince.
  
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• Bloodhound supersonic carries out first public runs

  26-10-2017 14:55 via bbc.co.uk
  The British-led Bloodhound vehicle carries out some slow-speed trials in Newquay, Cornwall.
  
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• Scientists test probiotics for bats against deadly white-nose syndrome

  26-10-2017 14:24 via cbc.ca
  Canadian scientists are racing to test a remedy that they hope will save bats from a deadly fungus that has already killed millions of the winged mammals across the continent.
  
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• Was the Extreme 2017 Hurricane Season Driven by Climate Change?

  26-10-2017 13:15 via rss.sciam.com
  Global warming already appears to be making hurricanes more intense
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• As ice retreats, frozen mosses emerge to tell climate change tale

  26-10-2017 13:00
  
  Plants long entombed beneath Canadian ice are now emerging, telling a story of warming unprecedented in the history of human civilization.
  
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• A Nearby Neutron Star Collision Could Cause Calamity on Earth

  26-10-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  From certain death to a scientific goldmine, here’s the spectrum of possibilities that we might expect from merging black holes, colliding neutron stars or detonating supernovae in our galactic...
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• Ancient skull 'oldest tsunami victim'

  26-10-2017 08:34 via bbc.co.uk
  The person is likely to have died in Papua New Guinea about 6,000 years ago, scientists say.
  
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• Virtual coasts improve understanding of possible coastal planning outcomes

  26-10-2017 06:00
  (Frontiers) Newly developed immersive geographic visualization tool is the first of its kind to use audio and visual animations and an underwater perspective. This enables people to assess the aesthetic aspects of potential management scenarios through a first-person perspective and leads to a greater appreciation for environmental protection.
  
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• UTA professor's book says lack of transit access increases social inequality

  26-10-2017 06:00
  (University of Texas at Arlington) Diane Jones Allen, the UTA director of landscape architecture in UTA's College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs, used case studies in New Orleans, Baltimore and Chicago to write "Lost in the Transit Desert: Race, Transit Access, and Suburban Form," published recently by Routledge Research in Planning and Urban Design.
  
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• UBC researcher prescribes specific exercise dosage for those with spinal cord injury

  26-10-2017 06:00
  (University of British Columbia Okanagan campus) An international committee, led by UBC Okanagan researcher Kathleen Martin Ginis, has come up with exercise recommendations specifically tailored for people with spinal cord injuries. These will be presented at the International Spinal Cord Society Annual Scientific Meeting in Dublin, Ireland this week.
  
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• Tiny chip-based methane spectrometer could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions

  26-10-2017 06:00
  (The Optical Society) Scientists from IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., developed the new methane spectrometer, which is smaller than today's standard spectrometers and more economical to manufacture.
  
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• Three new lung cancer genetic biomarkers are identified in Dartmouth study

  26-10-2017 06:00
  (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center) SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) are variations in our DNA that determine our susceptibility to developing some diseases. Using the largest genome-wide SNP-smoking interaction analysis reported for lung cancer, a research team led by Dartmouth's Norris Cotton Cancer Center's Yafang Li, PhD, has identified three novel SNPs. The results from their study reinforce that gene-smoking interactions play important roles in the etiology of lung cancer and accoun
  
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• The nose reveals our relationship with our emotions

  26-10-2017 06:00
  (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati) An alexithymic individual has difficulty, to a greater or lesser degree, in relating to emotions. New research seeks to shed light on new aspects of the condition using olfactory tests. The results demonstrate that one of the characteristics of alexithymia is the altered physiological response to olfactory stimuli.The tests also showed that there are differences in reactions between subjects characterised by affective alexithymia and those with
  
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• The Guanches originated from North Africa, shows DNA-study

  26-10-2017 06:00
  (Stockholm University) The aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary Islands, commonly known as the Guanches, originated from North Africa. A team of international researchers led by Stockholm University, and including Liverpool John Moores University's Dr Linus Girdland-Flink, has now confirmed this long-held hypothesis. The result has been achieved by sequencing ancient DNA extracted from the University of Edinburgh's collection of skulls from Guanches who lived on Gran Canaria and Tenerife prior t
  
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• The Bakhshali manuscript: The world's oldest zero?

  26-10-2017 06:00
  (University of Alberta) Last month, the Bodleian Library at Oxford University announced that a Sanskrit manuscript housed in the library for the last century contains the oldest known written zero, although not a 'true' zero. An international group of historians of Indian mathematics has now challenged those findings.
  
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• TGen-USC study finds 'Precision Medicine' may not always be so precise

  26-10-2017 06:00
  (The Translational Genomics Research Institute) Precision Medicine in oncology, where genetic testing is used to determine the best drugs to treat cancer patients, is not always so precise when applied to some of the world's more diverse populations, according to a study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, and the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).
  
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• TGen-USC study finds 'precision ,edicine' may not always be so precise

  26-10-2017 06:00
  (The Translational Genomics Research Institute) Precision Medicine in oncology, where genetic testing is used to determine the best drugs to treat cancer patients, is not always so precise when applied to some of the world's more diverse populations, according to a study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, and the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).
  
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