Science news

• Humans are driving climate change, federal scientists say

  03-11-2017 23:19
  
  Human influence “extremely likely” to be dominant cause of warming in last 70 years, U.S. climate report finds.
  
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• Here’s why some water striders have fans on their legs

  03-11-2017 19:30
  
  A fan of tiny, elegant plumes on their legs helps certain water striders dash across flowing water without getting wet.
  
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• Clues to body's defense against common oral ailment

  03-11-2017 19:27
  Study shows how the body recognizes when a harmless fungus in the mouth becomes a disease-causing infection.
  
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• Study refutes using anti-malaria drug to treat diabetes

  03-11-2017 18:46
  A drug used to treat malaria does not, after all, create new insulin-producing cells, according to a new article.
  
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• Scratching the surface of mature monocytes...and coming up with CXCR7

  03-11-2017 18:46
  New research has shown for the first time that mature monocytes (a specific type of white blood cell) express the CXCR7 receptor on their surface. This receptor may be a therapeutic target for controlling inflammation in the brain associated with diseases like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and AIDS.
  
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• Potential new treatment for Fragile X targets one gene to affect many

  03-11-2017 18:46
  Scientists found that inhibiting a regulatory protein alters the intricate signaling chemistry that is responsible for many of the disease's symptoms. The findings provide a path to possible therapeutics for disorders associated with Fragile X.
  
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• Optical diagnostic to help improve fuel economy while reducing emissions

  03-11-2017 18:46
  A new optical device that helps researchers image pollutants in combusting fuel sprays might lead to clearer skies in the future. An optical setup can now quantify the formation of soot -- particulate matter consisting primarily of carbon -- as a function of time and space for a variety of combustion processes.
  
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• Colon cancer breakthrough could lead to prevention -- and the foods that can help

  03-11-2017 18:46
  Colon cancer, Crohn's, and other diseases of the gut could be better treated -- or even prevented -- thanks to a new link between inflammation and a common cellular process.
  
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• Can environmental toxins disrupt the biological 'clock'?

  03-11-2017 18:46
  Can environmental toxins disrupt circadian rhythms -- the biological 'clock' whose disturbance is linked to chronic inflammation and a host of human disorders? Research showing a link between circadian disruption and plankton that have adapted to road salt pollution puts the question squarely on the table.
  
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• Rare spectacle

  03-11-2017 17:42 via bbc.co.uk
  The Norwegian island of Kvaløya is now one of the few places in Europe to see a pod of killer whales.
  
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• A last refuge for Europe's blighted killer whales

  03-11-2017 17:42 via bbc.co.uk
  The Norwegian island of Kvaløya is now one of the few places in Europe to see a pod of killer whales.
  
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• Next Mars rover will have 23 'eyes'

  03-11-2017 17:30
  NASA's Mars 2020 mission will have more "eyes" than any rover before it: a grand total of 23, to create sweeping panoramas, reveal obstacles, study the atmosphere, and assist science instruments. They will provide dramatic views during the rover's descent to the Red Planet.
  
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• Artificial insulin-releasing cells may make it easier to manage diabetes

  03-11-2017 17:00
  
  Synthetic cells crafted in the lab could provide a more precise, longer-lasting diabetes treatment.
  
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• Kicking the habit, online

  03-11-2017 15:59
  Online social networks designed to help smokers kick the tobacco habit are effective, especially if users are active participants, according to a new study.
  
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• Zooming-in on protein teamwork

  03-11-2017 15:58
  The surface of every cell contains receptors that react to external signals similar to a 'gate'. In this way, the cells of the innate immune system can differentiate between friend and foe partly through their 'toll-like receptors' (TLRs). Two parts of this gate often work together here, as researchers have now found out with the help of a new super-resolution optical microscopy technique.
  
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• Livestock-associated MRSA found among MRSA from humans

  03-11-2017 15:58
  New survey results show more frequent detections and geographical dispersion of LA-MRSA in humans in the EU/EEA since 2007, and highlight the public health and veterinary importance of LA-MRSA as a 'One Health' issue. The ECDC advocates for periodic systematic surveys or integrated multi-sectorial surveillance to facilitate control measures.
  
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• Getting the world to listen: Improving the impact of research through storytelling

  03-11-2017 15:58
  Scientists and researchers often find it challenging to get people interested in their work. It is possible to be a leading expert in a field and still be unfamiliar outside the modest circle of colleagues in the same field.
  
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• First direct measurements of high energy electrons in space

  03-11-2017 15:58
  The CALET Cosmic Ray experiment has successfully carried out the high-precision measurement of cosmic-ray electron spectrum up to 3 tera electron volts (TeV) by using the CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) on the Japanese Experimental Module, the Exposed Facility on the International Space Station.
  
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• Nano-sized gold particles have been shaped to behave as clones in biomedicine

  03-11-2017 15:57
  A special laser system is able to induce billions of gold nanoparticles to behave as one. The research exploits this unique feature for applications in biomedicine and photonics, from tumor treatments to energy production, thanks to the ability of these particles to absorb or reflect light of a certain color, depending on their geometry.
  
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• In pursuit of a universal flu vaccine

  03-11-2017 15:57
  Developing a universal flu vaccine that would protect against all seasonal and pandemic strains of the virus is no easy task, and new research suggests that one of the most promising strategies -- creating a vaccine that targets the 'stalk' of a protein that covers the flu virus -- is a strong one, but isn't completely bulletproof. Researchers found that the stalk of the hemagglutinin protein can vary in response to pressure from the immune system.
  
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• What do piranhas and goldfish have in common?

  03-11-2017 15:56
  Researchers including some of the biggest names in ichthyology from universities and museums across the US and Mexico used highly conserved regions of animal genomes, called ultraconserved elements (UCEs), to compile one of the most data-rich phylogenies of fishes to date. Here's what they found.
  
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• Obesity increases incidence, severity, costs of knee dislocations

  03-11-2017 15:56
  The obesity epidemic is resulting in a higher risk of knee dislocations as well as serious vascular injuries and higher treatment costs, a new national study finds.
  
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• Crystals in a pink X-ray beam

  03-11-2017 15:56
  A newly developed experimental set-up allows the structure determination of biomolecules such as proteins with far smaller samples and shorter exposure times than before at synchrotron X-ray sources. The set-up greatly reduces unwanted scattered radiation, enabling the use of serial crystallography with the so-called 'pink beam' of synchrotrons.
  
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• Antarctic ozone hole is the smallest it's been since 1988

  03-11-2017 14:14 via cbc.ca
  Good news - the ozone hole over the South Pole is smaller than it's been in 29 years, NASA reports.
  
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• iPhone X: Canadians line up at Apple stores as latest smartphone hits shelves

  03-11-2017 14:09 via cbc.ca
  A decade after Apple launched its original smartphone, the lineups at stores are back today as the ultra-expensive iPhone X comes to the market after months of anticipation.
  
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• Wild grape yeast could be more effective than pesticides in preventing grape molds

  03-11-2017 14:07
  Researchers have identified a wild yeast that is more effective at preventing common grape molds than a pesticide, suggesting that it could be an eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides. The researchers discovered that wild grapes host a huge array of yeasts that can inhibit common grape molds, while they found a smaller number of effective yeasts on farmed grapes.
  
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• Alligators eat sharks — and a whole lot more

  03-11-2017 14:00
  
  Alligators aren’t just freshwater creatures. They swim to salty waters and back, munching on plenty of foods along the way.
  
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• Protecting the wild: Professor helps to minimize recreation disturbance to wildlife

  03-11-2017 13:59
  Investigators have harnessed existing technology to help recreation ecologists and managers better understand and minimize those recreation disturbances to wildlife.
  
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• Identifying pathogens that cause soybean stem canker

  03-11-2017 13:59
  Soybean diseases caused by various species of Diaporthe pathogens are on the rise and scientists are identifying the pathogens behind this increase.
  
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• Retired professional footballers at higher risk of knee osteoarthritis

  03-11-2017 13:58
  Retired professional footballers are far more prone to develop knee pain and osteoarthritis and face problems with their knees earlier in life than the average person, a study has revealed.
  
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• Combined therapies increase adverse side effects for patients with advanced hormone receptor-positive breast cancer

  03-11-2017 13:58
  Patients with advanced breast cancer who are treated with a combination of drugs that target specific molecules important for cancer development and also the hormones that are driving it are at increased risk of suffering adverse side effects.
  
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• 10-year fall in blood cholesterol of Malaysia heart attack patients suggests statin impact

  03-11-2017 13:58
  A ten-year decline in the blood cholesterol of heart attack patients in Malaysia suggests that statins are having a positive impact, according to an observational study in nearly 49,000 patients.
  
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• Trust in healthcare undermined by 'bad apples,' new research reveals

  03-11-2017 13:57
  Research based on analysis of 6,714 cases of professional misconduct by health and care professionals has identified three different types of perpetrators.
  
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• Astonishing evolution: Digger wasps and their chemistry

  03-11-2017 13:56
  Because digger wasps switched prey, the chemical protective layer of their skin changed, too, explain researchers in a new report.
  
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• Elucidation of bone regeneration mechanism

  03-11-2017 13:53
  Fish have the extraordinary ability to regenerate lost fins and other appendages containing cartilage and bone. The cells responsible for the regeneration offer new clues on how to regenerate tissues in humans. Researchers have found a dormant progenitor cell population in zebrafish that regenerates bone cells, or osteoblasts.
  
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• Biomarkers may provide early warning of lung problems in 9/11 firefighters

  03-11-2017 13:53
  Blood biomarkers appear to be an early-warning signal for the accelerated loss of lung function and airway obstruction in firefighters who responded to the World Trade Center disaster, according to new research.
  
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• Adaptive powered knee prosthesis needed to assist amputees

  03-11-2017 13:53
  Research into wearable robotics shows how amputees wearing these devices adapted when presented with a real-world challenge: carrying a weighted backpack. The results could assist device manufacturers and clinicians expand the utility of these important devices, and could help researchers develop smarter controllers that adapt to real-world demands.
  
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• Synthetic material acts like an insect cloaking device

  03-11-2017 13:52
  Synthetic microspheres with nanoscale holes can absorb light from all directions across a wide range of frequencies, making them a candidate for antireflective coatings, according to a team of engineers. The synthetic spheres also explain how the leaf hopper insect uses similar particles to hide from predators in its environment.
  
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• RefEx, a web tool for a comfortable search of reference data for gene expression analysis

  03-11-2017 13:52
  A large variety of data of life science (such as gene expression) is accumulated in the public database, but it is difficult to use. A web tool RefEx can easily search gene expression data available in public databases to obtain reference data for genetic analysis without bench-top experiments. RefEx is expected to contribute widely and greatly to life science and medical research as a powerful tool for gene expression research.
  
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• Another close-by planetary system?

  03-11-2017 13:18
  The ALMA Observatory in Chile has detected dust around the closest star to the Solar System, Proxima Centauri. These new observations reveal the glow coming from cold dust in a region between one to four times as far from Proxima Centauri as the Earth is from the Sun. The data also hint at the presence of an even cooler outer dust belt and may indicate the presence of an elaborate planetary system.
  
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• Renewable energy jobs provide new opportunities for Alberta workers

  03-11-2017 13:00 via cbc.ca
  Trades and careers in renewable energy, like wind and solar power, could play a part in easing Alberta's employment crunch, providing jobs in the near future and for decades to come.
  
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• MDMA's Journey from Molly to Medicine

  03-11-2017 12:15 via rss.sciam.com
  MDMA-assisted psychotherapy readies for phase III trials, a last step before possible prescription use in PTSD patients
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• See a new mosaic of images of comet 67P from the Rosetta mission

  03-11-2017 12:00
  
  A montage of images taken by the Rosetta spacecraft and its lander, Philae, recap the daring mission to comet 67P.
  
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• Global Climate Meeting Will Forge Ahead, Despite Trump's Contempt

  03-11-2017 11:45 via rss.sciam.com
  Countries will map out how to meet their carbon-reduction pledges; U.S. governors and mayors will step up
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Leafhoppers use tiny light-absorbing balls to conceal their eggs

  03-11-2017 11:00
  
  Leafhoppers produce microscopic balls that absorb light rather than reflect it and help camouflage the insects’ eggs.
  
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• 'We're designing minds': App maker reveals secrets that keep us addicted to smartphones

  03-11-2017 10:00 via cbc.ca
  The average Canadian teenager is on track to spend nearly a decade of their life staring at a smartphone, and that’s no accident, according to an industry insider who shared time-sucking secrets of the app design trade.
  
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• Can cellphone records really prove where someone was?

  03-11-2017 10:00 via cbc.ca
  Whatever happened to Laura Babcock the night of July 3, 2012, her phone was still alive the next day. A small but now critical amount of information is known about Babcock's cellphone activity.
  
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• 'I don't feel like I'm exploiting my kids': Social media moms divided about sponsored posts

  03-11-2017 08:10 via cbc.ca
  When did being a mom become a lifestyle brand? Step inside the world of social media influencer parents.
  
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• Vitamin D may be key for pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome

  03-11-2017 05:00
  (University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine) Vitamin D may play a key role in helping some women seeking treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-related infertility get pregnant. PCOS is a hormonal disorder affecting 5 to 10 percent of women of reproductive age. Results of the study show women who were Vitamin D deficient when starting fertility treatments were 40 percent less likely to achieve a pregnancy.
  
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• UTA professor wins Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award

  03-11-2017 05:00
  (University of Texas at Arlington) Frank Lewis, Moncrief-O'Donnell Endowed Chair at the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute and professor in UTA's Department of Electrical Engineering, has added to his many achievements two new awards, the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and the Liaoning China Friendship Award.
  
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