Science news

• What hospitals can do to help keep excess opioids out of communities

  06-12-2017 23:23
  
  Guidelines for prescribing opioids following a routine surgery prevented thousands of unnecessary pills from leaving the hospital, a new study finds.
  
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• Farthest monster black hole found

  06-12-2017 22:17 via bbc.co.uk
  Astronomers discover the most distant "supermassive" black hole known to science.
  
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• Bitcoin price passes $13,000 US

  06-12-2017 21:33 via cbc.ca
  The price of a single bitcoin passed the $13,000 US level for the first time on Wednesday, a gain of $1,000 in less than a day.
  
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• A closer look at '3.67m-year-old' skeleton

  06-12-2017 21:20 via bbc.co.uk
  It took 20 years to excavate, clean and put together Little Foot, found in caves north of Johannesburg.
  
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• 'Eureka': Alberta researcher puts new spin on curling conundrum

  06-12-2017 20:46 via cbc.ca
  Edward Lozowski may have solved a mystery which has befuddled curlers for generations: What makes rocks curl?
  
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• How insects are making their way onto Montreal plates

  06-12-2017 20:00 via cbc.ca
  Creepy, crawly insects are just one good marketing makeover away from becoming the "superfood" those who love them want to see it become.
  
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• Google's 'superhuman' DeepMind AI claims chess crown

  06-12-2017 19:55 via bbc.co.uk
  An algorithm developed by the DeepMind team claims victory against a world-beating AI chess program.
  
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• Supermassive black hole from early universe is farthest ever found

  06-12-2017 19:35 via cbc.ca
  Astronomers have discovered a super-size black hole harkening back to almost the dawn of creation.
  
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• This new dinosaur species was one odd duck

  06-12-2017 19:29
  
  Weird dino swimmer had flipperlike limbs and a swanlike neck.
  
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• Oddball dinosaur was 'mixture between a Velociraptor and a goose'

  06-12-2017 19:07
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A strange turkey-sized, bird-like dinosaur that boasted a swan's neck, arms resembling flippers, long legs and a mouth full of needle-like teeth staked out a unique amphibious lifestyle in rivers and lakes about 75 million years ago in Mongolia.
  
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• The most distant quasar ever spotted hails from the universe’s infancy

  06-12-2017 19:00
  
  The new record-holder for faraway quasars comes from a period of rapid change in the universe.
  
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• Strange new dinosaur is a Velociraptor cousin with flippers

  06-12-2017 19:00 via cbc.ca
  A newly discovered dinosaur is so strange that scientists initially thought the fossil was fake after it was found in a dealer’s shop in France.
  
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• Little Foot skeleton unveiled in South Africa

  06-12-2017 16:39 via bbc.co.uk
  One of the oldest and most complete skeletons of our ancestors is unveiled in South Africa.
  
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• Scientists unveil 'remarkable' skeleton of ancient human ancestor

  06-12-2017 16:27 via cbc.ca
  Researchers in South Africa have unveiled a virtually complete skeleton of a human ancestor that lived 3.6 million years ago.
  
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• UN signals 'end' of throwaway plastic

  06-12-2017 14:38 via bbc.co.uk
  The end of the era of throwaway plastic has been signalled by UN environment ministers meeting in Kenya.
  
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• Google blocks YouTube on Amazon devices

  06-12-2017 14:29 via cbc.ca
  Google is pulling its popular YouTube video service from Amazon's Fire TV and Echo Show devices in an escalating feud that has caught consumers in the crossfire.
  
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• YouTube list reveals Canadians can't get enough of animals, Despacito and Star Wars

  06-12-2017 13:30 via cbc.ca
  This year's top trending videos in Canada include a sea lion pulling a girl into the water, the chart-topping hit Despacito and the trailer for the upcoming Star Wars instalment, The Last Jedi.
  
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• Arctic sea ice melt to exacerbate California droughts: study

  06-12-2017 10:57
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Melting Arctic sea ice could render sun-soaked California vulnerable to a recurrence of the severe drought suffered in recent years as it is likely to cause high pressure systems that push away rain-bearing storms, a study released on Tuesday said.
  
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• Wheat gets boost from purified nanotubes

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Rice University) Rice University researchers test the effects of carbon nanotubes on the growth of wheatgrass. While some showed no effect, purified single-walled nanotubes dispersed in water enhanced the plants' growth, while the same nanotubes in an organic solvent retarded their development.
  
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• What makes a happy working mom?

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Springer) A happy working mom feels competent in interacting with her child, experiences a sense of freedom and choice in her actions, while having a warm and affectionate relationship with her baby. She is also not too hard on herself about how she is faring as a mother. So says Katrijn Brenning of the University of Ghent in Belgium who led research that investigated what affects a working mother's sense of well-being. The study is published in Springer's Journal of Happiness Studies.
  
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• What gave early New Orleans jazz clarinets their unique sound?

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Acoustical Society of America) The hauntingly beautiful 'wailing' sounds of early New Orleans jazz clarinets, often featured in brass bands or jazz funerals, are one of the most distinctive instrument styles in American music. The unique sound begs the question: what's behind incredible their range of sound and tonal variety? During the 174th ASA Meeting, Dec. 4-8, 2017, Michael G. White will deliver a special presentation about the distinguishing characteristics of the clarinet in early New Or
  
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• Want to listen better? Lend a right ear

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Acoustical Society of America) Listening requires sensitive hearing and the ability to process information into cohesive meaning. Add everyday background noise and constant interruptions, and the ability to comprehend what is heard becomes that much more difficult. Audiology researchers at Auburn University have found that in such demanding environments, both children and adults depend more on their right ear for processing and retaining what they hear. They will present their work at the 174th
  
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• Virtual reality at the service of psychology

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Goethe University Frankfurt) Our environment is composed according to certain rules and characteristics which are so obvious to us that we are scarcely aware of them. Professor Melissa Le-Hoa Vo, psychologist at Goethe University Frankfurt, is studying this 'scene knowledge' in a virtual reality laboratory. In the current issue of the Forschung Frankfurt research journal, journalist Jessica Klapp tells readers about her virtual trip to Italy and explains why we don´t look for the milk und
  
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• USU professor named fellow of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Utah State University) USU's Ron Sims has led a 45-year career in industry, government and higher education. He has demonstrated meaningful contributions to biological and biomedical engineering, and his work has improved public health and environmental sustainability.
  
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• US and Norwegian trials compare treatment options for opioid dependence

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (American College of Neuropsychopharmacology) The current opioid epidemic is destroying lives, families, and communities. Medication is widely considered to be the most effective treatment, but far too few people who could benefit are actually treated.
  
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• UH cancer researcher focused on tumor development

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (University of Houston) A University of Houston researcher has received a $900,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute to deliver an unprecedented look at development of esophageal cancer.
  
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• UChicago scientists craft world's tiniest interlinking chains

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (University of Chicago) For decades, scientists have been trying to make a true molecular chain: a repeated set of tiny rings interlocked together. In a study in Science published online Nov. 30, University of Chicago researchers announced the first confirmed method to craft such a molecular chain.
  
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• UA researcher receives NIH grant to discover novel antidepressants

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (University of Arizona Health Sciences) Dr. Deveroux Ferguson awarded $2.3 million grant from National Institutes of Health for research to design new generation of therapeutics.
  
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• Towards data storage at the single molecule level

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Kiel University) Similar to normal hard drives, so-called spin-crossover molecules can save information via their magnetic state. A research team from Kiel University has now managed to place a new class of spin-crossover molecules onto a surface and to improve its storage capacity. The storage density of conventional hard drives could therefore theoretically be increased by more than one hundred fold. The study has been published in journal Nano Letters.
  
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• Tobacco plants as life-savers

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Queensland University of Technology) Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is the sole international cooperation partner in Newcotiana,the four-year AUD$10.5 million European project to develop new tobacco varieties that can be used as biofactories for pharmaceuticals and vaccines.
  
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• The world's smallest Mona Lisa

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (California Institute of Technology) New techniques in DNA self-assembly allow researchers to create the largest to-date customizable patterns with nanometer precision on a budget.
  
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• The human race has peaked

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Frontiers) Newly emerging trends in data suggests humans may have reached their maximum limits for height, lifespan and physical performance. These biological limitations may be affected by anthropogenic impacts on the environment - including climate change - which could have a deleterious effect on these limits. This review is the first of its kind spanning 120 years worth of historical information, while considering the effects of both genetic and environmental parameters.
  
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• The Dream Chemistry Award goes to Dr. Jessica R. Kramer from the University of Utah

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague)) The laureate of the Dream Chemistry Award 2017 became Dr. Jessica R. Kramer from the University of Utah, USA, nominated by Prof. Hamid Ghandehari, with a project 'Glycocalyx engineering to probe the role of mucins in cancer'.
  
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• Supermassive black hole is ahead of its time

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)) Observations reveal the mass of earliest known supermassive black hole which radiates from an era in the universe only 690 million years after the Big Bang. Researchers, using unique spectroscopic data from Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph (GNIRS) on Gemini North determined its mass at a whopping 800 million times the mass of our sun.
  
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• Study suggests hot flashes could be precursor to diabetes

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (The North American Menopause Society (NAMS)) Hot flashes, undoubtedly the most common symptom of menopause, are not just uncomfortable and inconvenient, but numerous studies demonstrate they may increase the risk of serious health problems, including heart disease. A new study suggests that hot flashes (especially when accompanied by night sweats) also may increase the risk of developing diabetes. Results are being published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause
  
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• Study: Parents' reports of children's autism symptoms differ by race

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Georgia State University) Racial differences in parents' reports of concerns about their child's development to healthcare providers may contribute to delayed diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in black children, according to a study led by Georgia State University.
  
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• Some video games are good for older adults' brains

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (University of Montreal) Playing 3D-platform video games on a regular basis may improve cognitive functions in seniors and increase grey matter in a brain structure called the hippocampus, an Université de Montréal study suggests.
  
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• Smartphone health apps miss some daily activity of users

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (University of British Columbia) The iPhone's Health app and its built-in pedometer miss a significant number of users' steps during a typical day, a new University of British Columbia study has found. That's good news for people who self-monitor their physical activity; they are probably getting more exercise than they realize. But the results should raise some caution among researchers who want to tap into the smartphone's enormous potential for gathering health data.
  
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• Short intervention boosts safe-sex skills in teen girls

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (North Carolina State University) A recent study from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill finds that a 45-minute online sexual health program improved the ability of teen girls to communicate effectively about safe sex.
  
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• Seeing through walls of unknown materials

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Duke University) Researchers at Duke University have devised a way to see through walls without any advance knowledge of what the walls are made out of. Besides having obvious applications in the realm of security, the approach could lead to inexpensive devices to help construction workers easily locate conduits, pipes and wires.
  
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• Screening chemicals in everyday products for safety -- without animals

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (American Chemical Society) Thousands of substances in toys, electronics and other products have not yet been assessed for their potential risks to consumers. Last year's update to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) could make this task more manageable by setting a new path for prioritizing and evaluating these risks. And much of it will be done without animal testing, according to an article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Soc
  
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• Scientists observe supermassive black hole in infant universe

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) A team of astronomers has detected the most distant supermassive black hole ever observed. The black hole sits in the center of an ultrabright quasar and presents a puzzle as to how such a huge object could have grown so quickly.
  
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• Researchers devise better recommendation algorithm

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Improved recommendation algorithm should work especially well when ratings data are 'sparse.'
  
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• Researchers 3-D print lifelike artificial organ models

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (University of Minnesota) A team of researchers led by the University of Minnesota has 3-D printed lifelike artificial organ models that mimic the exact anatomical structure, mechanical properties, and look and feel of real organs. These patient-specific organ models, which include integrated soft sensors, can be used for practice surgeries to improve surgical outcomes in thousands of patients worldwide.
  
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• Research finds new ways to fight the opioid crisis

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (American College of Neuropsychopharmacology) In the US alone, more than 2 million people struggle with opioid use disorders.Opioids, often prescribed as pain medications, have now become the country's leading cause of drug overdose. But scientists are identifying ways to help combat the epidemic, which include getting people treatment faster, developing safer opioids, and helping patients choose appropriate treatment. A number of recent breakthroughs are being presented at the upcoming conferen
  
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• Reading on electronic devices may interfere with science reading comprehension

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Penn State) People who often read on electronic devices may have a difficult time understanding scientific concepts, according to a team of researchers. They suggest that this finding, among others in the study, could also offer insights on how reading a scientific text differs from casual reading.
  
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• Psychosis incidence highly variable internationally

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (University College London) Rates of psychosis can be close to eight times higher in some regions compared to others, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL, King's College London and the University of Cambridge, and published in JAMA Psychiatry.
  
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• Private investment in Cavendish Laboratory secures next phase of new research facility in the UK

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) The government today confirmed a major £75 million investment in the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. Originally announced in the 2015 Spending Review, today's confirmation coincides with a new £85 million private donation to the university from the estate of the late Ray Dolby. The funding will be used to support the construction of a new building for the Cavendish Laboratory, which has a long history of scient
  
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• Prior exposure to smoking may affect infants' respiratory health

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (Wiley) In a Pediatric Pulmonology study of children aged 15 months, increasing hair nicotine levels were related to prior parent-reported smoking exposure and were associated with potential increased risks of wheeze and asthma.
  
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• PPPL physicists win supercomputing time to study fusion and the cosmos

  06-12-2017 06:00
  (DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory) Article describes award of more than 210 million supercomputer core hours to study fusion plasmas and the cosmos.
  
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