Science news

• New biomarkers predict outcome of cancer immunotherapy

  08-01-2018 22:32
  Researchers have identified biomarkers in the blood that make it possible to predict whether cancer patients will respond positively to immunotherapy. Patients for whom therapy does not work can thus be treated using different methods at an earlier stage.
  
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• Major investors target Apple for not doing enough to curb kids using smartphones too much

  08-01-2018 22:11 via cbc.ca
  Two of Apple's biggest investors are urging the company to do more to help stop young people from using their products to an addictive level, which has increasingly become a concern for health and social advocates.
  
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• Former Google engineer sues company after being fired for circulating stereotype memo

  08-01-2018 21:23 via cbc.ca
  The former Google engineer fired in August after he wrote a memo that the company said perpetuated gender stereotypes has sued his former employer, saying he was the victim of workplace discrimination and retaliation.
  
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• El Nino's long reach to Antarctic ice

  08-01-2018 21:19 via bbc.co.uk
  Scientists show how the floating fronts of Antarctic glaciers respond to events in the tropical Pacific.
  
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• Most expensive year on record for US natural disasters

  08-01-2018 19:05 via bbc.co.uk
  Fires, hurricanes and other weather and climate disasters last year cost the US around $306bn in losses.
  
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• White dwarf’s inner makeup is mapped for the first time

  08-01-2018 17:00
  
  The first map of the internal composition of a white dwarf star shows these stellar corpses contain more oxygen than expected, challenging stellar evolution theories.
  
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• New pill tracks gases through your gut

  08-01-2018 17:00
  
  Swallowing these pill-sized sensors could give new insight into what’s going on in your gut.
  
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• U.S. spy satellite lost after failing to reach orbit, officials say

  08-01-2018 14:22 via cbc.ca
  A U.S. spy satellite that was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., aboard a SpaceX rocket on Sunday failed to reach orbit and is assumed to be a total loss, two U.S. officials briefed on the mission said on Monday.
  
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• U.S. spy satellite believed destroyed after failing to reach orbit, officials say

  08-01-2018 14:22 via cbc.ca
  SpaceX has launched a secret satellite codenamed Zuma on its first flight of the new year.
  
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• SpaceX launches secret Zuma satellite

  08-01-2018 14:22 via cbc.ca
  SpaceX has launched a secret satellite codenamed Zuma on its first flight of the new year.
  
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• Net Neutrality Loss Could Rekindle ISP Alternatives for Internet Access

  08-01-2018 13:30 via rss.sciam.com
  The FCC’s decision to kill the 2015 Open Internet Order hands more control to large broadband providers, but internet users have other options for getting online-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Puppy dog eyes influence dog choice

  08-01-2018 12:56 via bbc.co.uk
  The frequency a dog raises it's 'inner eyebrow' influences how quickly it finds a new home
  
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• How Opioids Kill

  08-01-2018 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  What happens in the body during a fatal overdose? And why is fentanyl responsible for more deaths than ever? -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Vision, sensory and motor testing could predict best batters in baseball

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Duke University Medical Center) Duke Health researchers found players with higher scores on computer-based vision and motor tasks had better on-base percentages, more walks and fewer strikeouts -- collectively referred to as plate discipline -- compared to their peers.
  
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• UW reality lab launches with $6M from tech companies to advance AR/VR research

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (University of Washington) The UW Reality Lab is launching with $6 million from Facebook, Google, and Huawei to accelerate innovation in augmented and virtual reality and educate the next generation of researchers and practitioners.
  
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• UW Reality Lab launches with $6 million from tech companies to advance AR/VR research

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (University of Washington) The UW Reality Lab is launching with $6 million from Facebook, Google, and Huawei to accelerate innovation in augmented and virtual reality and educate the next generation of researchers and practitioners.
  
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• Uncovering the power of glial cells

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (University of Pittsburgh) Implanted devices send targeted electrical stimulation to the nervous system to interfere with abnormal brain activity, and it is commonly assumed that neurons are the only important brain cells that need to be stimulated by these devices. However, research published in Nature Biomedical Engineering reveals that it may also be important to target the supportive glial cells surrounding the neurons.
  
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• Twitter, Trump and sexual assault: A call to men for action

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Michigan State University) The social media backlash against sexual assault not only gives victims a collective outlet for disclosure, but also serves as a powerful tool to urge boys and men to condemn violence against women, finds a first-of-its-kind study by Michigan State University scholars.
  
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• Tropical Cyclone Ava moving away from Madagascar

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) NASA's Terra satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Ava as it continued moving away from the island nation of Madagascar. Ava was located in the Southern Indian Ocean, off the southeastern coast of the country.
  
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• Trawl of Red Sea surface waters finds little plastic

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)) The Red Sea has relatively low amounts of floating plastic debris in its surface waters due to fewer sources or faster removal.
  
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• Throwing molecular wrench into gene control machine leads to 'melting away' of leukemia

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) Researchers have figured out a way to prevent MYB, one of the most potent cancer-aiding proteins, from activating genes in AML, an aggressive form ofleukemia. Tested in mice, the new method resulted in dramatic cancer reduction and no harm to healthy cells. This could lead to a new therapy for AML and possibly other cancers.
  
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• The CRISPR Journal debuts content from Francisco Mojica, Jacob Sherkow, Rodolphe Barrangou

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) In a colorful and first-person look at the discovery of CRISPR short DNA repeats that spawned the genome-editing revolution, Francisco Mojica reflects on the momentous events leading up to and following his game-changing research in a fascinating new interview.
  
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• The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine issues guidance on informal milk sharing

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) In response to the increasing informal sharing of human milk, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) has published guidelines to minimize the risk of this practice while enhancing the health benefits.
  
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• Swallowable sensors reveal mysteries of human gut health

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (RMIT University) Findings from the first human trials of a breakthrough gas-sensing swallowable capsule could revolutionise the way that gut disorders and diseases are prevented and diagnosed.
  
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• Success in community college aided by comprehensive case management, study finds

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (University of Notre Dame) New research from the University of Notre Dame shows that students who participated in the full comprehensive case management program were significantly more likely to stay enrolled and to graduate within six semesters.
  
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• Study uncovers healthcare disparities among octogenarians and nonagenarians with advanced lung cancer

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Wiley) A new study reveals that, among patients of advanced age with stage III lung cancer, African Americans and individuals who live in lower income areas are more likely to not receive any treatment.
  
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• Saliva test aims to detect HPV throat cancers

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Queensland University of Technology) A QUT researcher is developing a simple saliva test to detect Human papilloma virus (HPV) in throat cancers.This follows the extension of a QUT collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, and Janssen Cilag Pty Ltd.Professor Chamindie Punyadeera from QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI) said with the development of new therapeutic vaccines, it is important to identify in the general population
  
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• Researchers call for true picture of domestic violent crime

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Lancaster University) Plans for Home Office Counting Rules to count coercive and controlling behaviour as 'non-injurious violent crime' capped at one crime per victim -- even though statistics show one in 20 victims can experience more than 10 domestic violence crimes a year -- will mask the true extent of the problem.The warning comes in a new paper, 'Untangling the concept of coercive control: theorising domestic violent crime', just published in the journal, Criminology and Criminal Justice.
  
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• Repeated influenza vaccination helps prevent severe flu in older adults

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Canadian Medical Association Journal) Repeated vaccination for influenza in older adults reduced the severity of the virus and reduced hospital admissions, found new research published in CMAJ.
  
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• Recreational marijuana legalization: Do more youth use or do youth use more?

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Oregon Research Institute) Recent results from an Oregon Research Institute (ORI) study indicate that the effects of recreational marijuana legalization on Oregon teens' use depends on whether the teens were already using marijuana when legal sales began.
  
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• Powerful tropical cyclone irving examined with GPM

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) On Jan. 8, Tropical Cyclone Irving was hurricane-force in the Southern Indian Ocean. The Global Precipitation Measurement Mission or GPM core satellite passed overhead and measured cloud heights and rainfall rates in the powerful storm.
  
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• NUS researchers pioneer water-based, eco-friendly and energy-saving air-conditioner

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (National University of Singapore) A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore has pioneered a new water-based air-conditioning system that cools air to as low as 18 degrees Celsius without the use of energy-intensive compressors and environmentally harmful chemical refrigerants.
  
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• Noise pollution causes chronic stress in birds, with health consequences for young

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Florida Museum of Natural History) Birds exposed to the persistent noise of natural gas compressors show symptoms remarkably similar to those in humans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, new research shows.
  
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• New research reveals how gardeners can dig for health, not injury

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Coventry University) New research from Coventry University and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) reveals that a bad digging technique can as much as double the load on the joints in the body, leaving people susceptible to chronic injuries.
  
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• New long-acting, less-toxic HIV drug suppresses virus in humanized mice

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Yale University) A team of Yale researchers tested a new chemical compound that suppresses HIV, protects immune cells, and remains effective for weeks with a single dose. In animal experiments, the compound proved to be a promising new candidate to enhance current HIV treatment regimens -- without increasing toxic side effects, the researchers said.
  
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• New catalyst for making fuels from shale gas

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (University College London) Methane in shale gas can be turned into hydrocarbon fuels using an innovative platinum and copper alloy catalyst, according to new research led by UCL (University College London) and Tufts University.
  
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• New approach can save up to 95 percent of energy used for pipelines

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Institute of Science and Technology Austria) Until now it had been assumed that, once a flow of a fluid has become turbulent, turbulence would persist. Researchers have now shown that this is not the case. In their experiments they managed to destabilize turbulence so that the flow turned to a laminar state, and they observed that the flow remained laminar thereafter. Eliminating turbulence can save as much as 95 percent of the energy required to pump a fluid through a pipe.
  
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• MSU faculty seek to increase participation of women in agriculture with USDA grant

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Montana State University) Six female professors will use a USDAgrant to increase the participation of women in agriculture and prepare the next generation of female agricultural leaders in Montana.
  
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• MSU environmental scientist wins grant to research forest management consequences

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Montana State University) William Kleindl and colleagues will use a $312,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to determine what effect forest management decisions have on forest ecology from local to regional to continental scales.
  
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• Monthly brain cycles predict seizures in patients with epilepsy

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (University of California - San Francisco) UC San Francisco neurologists have discovered monthly cycles of brain activity linked to seizures in patients with epilepsy. The finding, published online January 8 in Nature Communications, suggests it may soon be possible for clinicians to identify when patients are at highest risk for seizures, allowing patients to plan around these brief but potentially dangerous events.
  
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• January/February 2018 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (American Academy of Family Physicians) January/February 2018 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet.
  
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• Improved blood stabilization should expand use of circulating tumor cell profiling

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Massachusetts General Hospital) A new blood stabilization method, developed at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Engineering in Medicine, significantly prolongs the lifespan of blood samples for microfluidic sorting and transcriptome profiling of rare circulating tumor cells, living cancer cells carried in the bloodstream.
  
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• Higher stress among minority and low-income populations can lead to health disparities, says report

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (American Psychological Association) People with low incomes and racial/ethnic minority populations experience greater levels of stress than their more affluent, white counterparts, which can lead to significant disparities in both mental and physical health that ultimately affect life expectancy, according to a report from the American Psychological Association.
  
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• Growing opioid epidemic forcing more children into foster care

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (University of South Florida (USF Health)) The opioid crisis is causing serious consequences across the country. One of the biggest, illicit opioid abusers are neglecting their children, resulting in more kids being removed from their homes. A new study finds a direct correlation between the epidemic and growing number of children placed in foster care.
  
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• Future consumer technology from NSF at CES 2018 Eureka Park

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (National Science Foundation) Nearly 20 small businesses funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) will showcase their early stage technologies at the 2018 CES, a global conference that unveils up-and-coming consumer technologies.
  
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• Feel anxious? Have trouble sleeping? You may be traveling for business too often

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health) People who travel for business two weeks or more a month report more symptoms of anxiety and depression and are more likely to smoke, be sedentary and report trouble sleeping than those who travel one to six nights a month.  Among those who consume alcohol, extensive business travel is associated with symptoms of alcohol dependence.  Poor behavioral and mental health outcomes significantly increased as the number of nights away fr
  
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• Efforts to track food intake on smartphone app impacted by day of week but not season of year

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Elsevier) Dietary self-monitoring is a key component of successful behavioral weight loss interventions and is essential for facilitating other behavior change techniques (eg, setting goals, providing behavioral feedback). Few studies, however, have examined weekly and seasonal patterns of dietary self-monitoring, particularly when using a smartphone application (app). A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that the amount of time in a study and day of th
  
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• DNA evidence is putting rhino poachers behind bars, study shows

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Cell Press) In murder investigations, DNA evidence often helps to link a perpetrator to a crime scene and put him or her behind bars. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on Jan. 8 show that DNA evidence is also successfully being used to link rhinoceros horns seized from poachers and traffickers in various countries directly to the specific crime scenes where rhinoceros carcasses were left behind.
  
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• Chemists discover plausible recipe for early life on Earth

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Scripps Research Institute) Chemists find key chemical reactions that support life today could have been carried out with ingredients likely present on the planet four billion years ago.
  
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• Cellular traffic jam seen in ALS/FTD -- Supports drug strategy

  08-01-2018 06:00
  (Emory Health Sciences) A cellular traffic jam appears to affect neurons in most forms of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), Emory/Mayo researchers have shown. The findings suggest that a drug strategy aimed at easing the traffic jam may be generalizable to sporadic and at least some familial types of ALS and FTD (frontotemporal dementia).
  
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