Science news

• 'Not going to be a cakewalk': Social media sites face hurdles curbing foreign political ads

  01-11-2017 23:38 via cbc.ca
  Measures to stop foreign ads from flooding Google and social media sites and during U.S. election campaigns don't address the technical challenges, while they could also go too far in curbing free speech, experts says.
  
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• Scientist grades water risks from wildfires; Prairies at top of list

  01-11-2017 20:29 via cbc.ca
  The Canadian Prairies top a newly developed index of places where wildfires could create freshwater supply risks.
  
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• Wind may be driving the melting of East Antarctica’s largest glacier

  01-11-2017 19:24
  
  Winds may be helping warm ocean waters speed up the melting of East Antarctica’s largest glacier.
  
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• The way hungry young stars suck in food keeps most X-rays in, too

  01-11-2017 19:06
  
  The columns of plasma that feed growing stars develop an extra layer that keeps X-rays in.
  
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• Great praise for categories, and seeing beyond them

  01-11-2017 17:13
  Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses classification and some of the challenges of putting species in categorical boxes.
  
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• Readers intrigued by ancient animals’ bones

  01-11-2017 17:11
  Readers had questions about gut bacteria, woolly rhino ribs and ancient horses hooves.
  
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• Rats reinvade 2 islands in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve

  01-11-2017 16:00 via cbc.ca
  Scientists and researchers have spent years trying to eradicate rats from islands in Haida Gwaii, B.C., and for a time they were successful, but the unwelcome rodents have returned.
  
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• Former NASA astronaut brings lessons for Metro Vancouver's zero waste goals

  01-11-2017 15:00 via cbc.ca
  Cady Coleman spent months living on the International Space Station, relying on extremely limited resources with no place for waste.
  
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• 16 million Americans saw bogus Instagram posts during U.S. election, Facebook tells lawmakers

  01-11-2017 14:38 via cbc.ca
  Executives from Facebook, Google and Twitter faced a second day of grilling from lawmakers on Wednesday, from a Senate committee demanding answers about what the technology companies know about Russian attempts to meddle in the recent U.S. election.
  
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• New report finds Canadian technology companies lagging in terms of female leadership

  01-11-2017 14:15 via cbc.ca
  A new report says just five per cent of Canadian technology companies have a female founder and a similar fraction have a woman as CEO, suggesting the industry's gender diversity is lagging other sectors.
  
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• Defining ‘species’ is a fuzzy art

  01-11-2017 14:00
  
  Here's why scientists still don't agree on what a species is.
  
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• Could Genetic Engineering Save the Galápagos?

  01-11-2017 11:45 via rss.sciam.com
  In the Galápagos, invasive species are driving native animals to extinction. Some conservationists are asking whether genetic manipulation is the solution
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• Stranded elephant rescued from well in Sri Lanka

  01-11-2017 11:02 via bbc.co.uk
  Wildlife officials rushed to help when the elephant was found trapped.
  
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• Cougar found dead in March 'not part of a resident cougar population' says MNRF

  01-11-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says a cougar found dead northwest of Thunder Bay last March was not part of a resident Ontario population.
  
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• Cougar found dead in March "not part of a resident cougar population..." : MNRF

  01-11-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says a cougar found dead northwest of Thunder Bay last March was not part of a resident Ontario population.
  
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• 'Octlantis': Octopuses display surprising social tendencies in communities

  01-11-2017 10:00 via cbc.ca
  While it's long been believed that octopuses are solitary animals, new research suggests that these eight-legged wonders of the deep can gather together and even interact socially with one another.
  
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• Bitcoin has become the currency that's hard to spend: Don Pittis

  01-11-2017 10:00 via cbc.ca
  As a store of value, bitcoins have fulfilled their currency-like function in spades. But trying to price your goods or services in bitcoins is a fool's errand.
  
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• Wind farms along mountain ridges may negatively affect bats

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Wiley) By attaching miniaturized Global Positioning System tags to cave bats near a mountain ridge in Thailand, researchers have shown that bats repeatedly use mountain slopes to ascend to altitudes of more than 550 m above the ground.
  
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• Why do some obese people have 'healthier' fat tissue than others?

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (University of Michigan) One little understood paradox in the study of obesity is that overweight people who break down fat at a high rate are less healthy than peers who store their fat more effectively.
  
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• White matter damage linked to chronic musculoskeletal pain in Gulf War veterans

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Veterans Affairs Research Communications) A Veterans Affairs study has linked structural damage in the white matter of the brain to chronic musculoskeletal pain in Gulf War veterans.
  
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• What life would be like if the Russian Revolution had been a success

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (University of Kent) In a new book a Kent political scientist imagines a revolutionary 20th century in which the Russian Revolution spreads westward to Europe and the US, upending the course of 20th century history. In this version of events, Eleanor Roosevelt ends up living her life as a lesbian and Yiddish is a major European language.
  
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• USDA aims to improve food and nutrition education for low-income communities

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (National Institute of Food and Agriculture ) The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced support to develop local and self-reliant food systems, such as farm to table enterprises, which bring nutritious food to low-income communities. This funding is available through NIFA's Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.
  
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• Understanding addiction in the adolescent mind

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (University of Pittsburgh) Bioengineers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a new method of using synthetic DNA called 'aptamers' to view the effect of cocaine on the brain in real-time with a much higher resolution than other techniques. Dr. Tracy Cui is principal investigator for a two-year, $421,185 new study titled "Dual Polymer Coatings for High Fidelity and Stable In Vivo Cocaine Sensing From MEAs." Funding comes from a R21 Exploratory/Development grant from the National Institu
  
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• Transgender women take triple the number of HIV tests as trans men

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (University at Buffalo) A new University at Buffalo study has shown that HIV testing among transgender adults was higher in those who identified as female, were African-American or Hispanic, or had a history of incarceration.
  
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• To make surgery safer & less expensive for all, take Michigan's model national, team says

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan) Half the dollars spent on health care in America have something to do with a surgical procedure -- including post-surgery care to fix problems that could have been prevented. A Michigan-based model for making surgery safer, and avoiding complications, could have a major impact on the nation's health and bottom line, but needs federal support to go national.
  
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• The NAE honors NJIT's Lanzerotti for his 'extraordinary impact' on science and policy

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (New Jersey Institute of Technology) Louis Lanzerotti, a distinguished research professor of physics best known for shedding light on the space environment around Earth and its impact on hardware in space and critical infrastructure on the ground, received the 2017 Arthur M. Bueche Award from the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for his "extraordinary impact on the engineering profession."
  
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• Survey findings: 4 in 10 healthcare professionals work while sick

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Elsevier) A new study suggests that healthcare professionals (HCPs) should heed to their own advice: stay home when sick.
  
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• Subset of stem cells identified as source for all cells in blood and immune systems

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center) Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have identified a specific subset of adult blood stem cells that is exclusively responsible for repopulating the entire blood and immune system after a transplant. The discovery, to be published Nov. 1 in Science Translational Medicine, has the potential to revolutionize blood stem cell transplantation as well as the delivery and targeting of cell and gene therapies that use healthy versions of the sel
  
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• Study unveils changes in the brain during extended missions in space

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Medical University of South Carolina) MUSC neuroradiologist Donna Roberts conducted a study titled 'Effects of Spaceflight on Astronaut Brain Structure as Indicated on MRI,' the results of which will be featured in the Nov. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
  
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• Scientists create magnetic system that transforms heat into motion

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (University of Exeter) Scientists have discovered a pioneering new technique to transform ambient heat into motion in nanoscale devices - which could revolutionise future generations of data storage and sensors.
  
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• Rutgers-led research could revolutionize nuclear waste reprocessing and save money

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Rutgers University) Seeking a better way to capture radioactive iodides in spent nuclear reactor fuel, Rutgers-New Brunswick scientists have developed an extremely efficient 'molecular trap' that can be recycled and reused
  
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• Researchers look for dawn of human information sharing

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Washington State University) Researchers are challenging a widely accepted notion, first advanced by paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey, that a 2 million-year-old rock represents the dawn of human ancestors sharing information with each other.
  
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• Research documents link between nightmares and self-harm

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Florida State University) Research by doctoral student Chelsea Ennis found a link between nightmares and self-injurious behavior.
  
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• Poll: One-third of Latinos say they have experienced discrimination in jobs and housing

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) This report is part of a series titled "Discrimination in America." The series is based on a survey conducted for National Public Radio, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. While many surveys have explored Americans' beliefs about discrimination, this survey asks people about their own personal experiences with discrimination.
  
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• Plastic nanoparticles inspired by nature could improve cancer drug delivery

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (University of New South Wales) UNSW Sydney scientists have developed a way to control the shape of polymer molecules so they self-assemble into non-spherical nanoparticles -- an advance that could improve the delivery of toxic drugs to tumors. Very little in nature is perfectly spherical, but it has proved very difficult for scientists to synthesize particles that are notround until now.
  
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• Physicists describe new dark matter detection strategy

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Brown University) Brown University physicists propose a dark matter detector that would use superfluid helium to explore mass ranges for dark matter particles thousands of times smaller than current large-scale experiments.
  
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• People with psychotic-like experiences spend less time in healthy brain states

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Elsevier) A new study looks at the brain dynamics of healthy people with psychotic symptoms
  
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• Penn engineers develop filters that use nanoparticles to prevent slime build-up

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (University of Pennsylvania) Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science have a new way of making membranes that allows them to add in a host of new abilities via functional nanoparticles that adhere to the surface of the mesh. They tested this method by adding antifouling particle that could prevent biofilm build-up.
  
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• One step closer to defining dark matter, GPS satellite atomic clocks on the hunt

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (University of Nevada, Reno) One professor who studies the earth and one who studies space came together in the pursuit to detect and define dark matter. They are one step closer. Using 16 years of archival data from GPS satellites that that orbit the earth, the University of Nevada, Reno team looked for dark matter clumps in the shape of walls or bubbles and which would extend far out beyond the GPS orbits, the solar system and beyond.
  
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• One-step 3-D printing of catalysts developed at Ames Laboratory

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (DOE/Ames Laboratory) The US Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory has developed a 3-D printing process that creates a chemically active catalytic object in a single step, opening the door to more efficient ways to produce catalysts for complex chemical reactions in a wide scope of industries.
  
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• One factor that may help schools close racial achievement gap

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Ohio State University) A study of one Texas school district reveals one of the best evidence-based ways ever found to close the educational achievement gap between black and white students. The research found that teachers' sense of collective efficacy in any one school -- the belief that they had the capability and support necessary to educate their students -- was closely connected to the achievement gap.
  
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• Nicotine's hold: What the gut and gender have to do with it

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (American Chemical Society) Many people who smoke or chew tobacco can't seem to escape nicotine's addictive properties. Studies show that women in particular seem to have a harder time quitting, even with assistance, when compared to men. Now, scientists report in a mouse study published in ACS' journal Chemical Research in Toxicology that the difference in gender smoking patterns and smoking's effects could be due to how nicotine impacts the brain-gut relationship.
  
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• New tissue-engineered blood vessel replacements one step closer to human trials

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (University of Minnesota) Researchers at the University of Minnesota have created a new lab-grown blood vessel replacement that is composed completely of biological materials, but surprisingly doesn't contain any living cells at implantation. The vessel, that could be used as an "off the shelf" graft for kidney dialysis patients, performed well in a recent study with nonhuman primates.
  
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• New study links severe hot flashes with greater risk of obstructive sleep Apnea

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (The North American Menopause Society (NAMS)) Many menopausal women complain about poor sleep. Should the problem be blamed simply on menopause or on a more serious underlying sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? What, if any, is the connection between hot flashes, which can also lead to cardiovascular risk, and OSA? New study results being published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), examine that relationship.
  
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• New SOFT e-textiles could offer advanced protection for soldiers and emergency personnel

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Dartmouth College) New technology from Dartmouth College harnesses electronic signals in a smart fabric to detect, capture, concentrate and filter toxic chemicals.
  
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• New research looks at how 'cosmic web' of filaments alters star formation in galaxies

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (University of Kansas) A KU researcher has earned a $280,000 grant from NSF to lead an international collaboration investigating galaxies that extend along this 'cosmic web' of filaments.
  
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• New NIH grant to help researchers follow children with autism transition to adulthood

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (George Washington University) A George Washington University-led national collaborative network aimed at improving outcomes for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder will receive more than $11.7 million from the National Institutes of Health over the next five years to help propel innovative research in the field.
  
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• New drug enables infants with genetic disorder to live longer, gain motor function

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (Nemours) Infants with the most severe form of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) were more likely to show gains in motor function and were 47 percent more likely to survive without permanent assisted ventilation support when treated with a new medication, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
  
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• NASA investigates invisible magnetic bubbles in outer solar system

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Forty years ago, the twin Voyagers spacecraft were launched to explore the frontiers of our solar system, and have since made countless discoveries, including finding magnetic bubbles around two of the outer planets.
  
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• Metal-silicone microstructures could enable new flexible optical and electrical devices

  01-11-2017 05:00
  (The Optical Society) For the first time, researchers have used a single-step, laser-based method to produce small, precise hybrid microstructures of silver and flexible silicone. This innovative laser processing technology could one day enable smart factories that use one production line to mass-produce customized devices.
  
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