Science news

• Women run faster after taking newly developed supplement, study finds

  18-01-2018 23:53
  A new study found that women who took a specially prepared blend of minerals and nutrients for a month saw their 3-mile run times drop by almost a minute. The women who took the supplement also saw improvements in distance covered in 25 minutes on a stationary bike and a third test in which they stepped on and off a bench, according to new research.
  
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• Temporary 'bathtub drains' in the ocean concentrate flotsam

  18-01-2018 23:53
  An experiment using hundreds of plastic drifters in the Gulf of Mexico shows that rather than simply spread out, as current calculations would predict, many of them clumped together in a tight cluster.
  
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• Americans are getting more ZZZZs

  18-01-2018 23:53
  Although more than one in three Americans still don't get enough sleep, a new analysis shows first signs of success in the fight for more shut eye.
  
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• Apple to release software update to resolve iPhone slowdown: CEO Tim Cook

  18-01-2018 23:42 via cbc.ca
  Apple Inc. will release a software update that will allow users to turn off a feature that slows down iPhones when batteries are low on charge, chief executive Tim Cook told ABC News.
  
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• Long-term warming trend continued in 2017: NASA, NOAA

  18-01-2018 23:37
  Continuing the planet's long-term warming trend, globally averaged temperatures in 2017 were 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit (0.90 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 1951 to 1980 mean, according to scientists.
  
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• Why animals diversified on Earth: Cancer research provides clues

  18-01-2018 22:24
  Can tumors teach us about animal evolution on Earth? Researchers believe so and now present a novel hypothesis of why animal diversity increased dramatically on Earth about half a billion years ago. A biological innovation may have been key.
  
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• Researchers create first stem cells using CRISPR genome activation

  18-01-2018 22:24
  In a scientific first, researchers have turned skin cells from mice into stem cells by activating a specific gene in the cells using CRISPR technology. The innovative approach offers a potentially simpler technique to produce the valuable cell type and provides important insights into the cellular reprogramming process.
  
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• Reminding people about vaccinations can increase rates of immunization

  18-01-2018 22:24
  Rates of immunization against infectious diseases in children and adults are improving, but under-vaccination remains a problem that results in vaccine-preventable deaths and illnesses.
  
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• First evidence of sub-Saharan Africa glassmaking

  18-01-2018 22:24
  Scholars have found the first direct evidence that glass was produced in sub-Saharan Africa centuries before the arrival of Europeans, a finding that the researchers said represents a 'new chapter in the history of glass technology.'
  
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• 20 percent more trees in megacities would mean cleaner air and water, lower carbon and energy use

  18-01-2018 22:24
  Planting 20 percent more trees in our megacities would double the benefits of urban forests, like pollution reduction, carbon sequestration and energy reduction. The authors of the study say city planners, residents and other stakeholders should start looking within cities for natural resources and conserve the nature in our urban areas by planting more trees.
  
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• NASA tests nuclear power system for future astronauts on Mars

  18-01-2018 22:08 via cbc.ca
  When humans make it to Mars, they're going to need a source of power. That's why NASA is working on a compact nuclear power system which, they say, passed its first rounds of tests.
  
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• U.S. tests nuclear power system to sustain astronauts on Mars

  18-01-2018 21:52
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Initial tests in Nevada on a compact nuclear power system designed to sustain a long-duration NASA human mission on the inhospitable surface of Mars have been successful and a full-power run is scheduled for March, officials said on Thursday.
  
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• The secret to icky, sticky bacterial biofilms lies in the microbes’ cellulose

  18-01-2018 20:31
  
  Bacteria use a modified form of cellulose to form sticky networks that can coat various surfaces.
  
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• Paleolithic diet healthier for overweight women

  18-01-2018 20:29
  Overweight women after menopause who eat a Paleolithic diet can maintain weight loss in the long term. The levels of risk factors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases also decrease.
  
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• New input for quantum simulations

  18-01-2018 20:29
  Researchers have devised new methods to create interesting input states for quantum computations and simulations. The new methods can be used to simulate certain electronic systems to arbitrarily high accuracy.
  
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• Large volcanic island flank collapses trigger catastrophic eruptions

  18-01-2018 20:29
  New research not only implies a link between catastrophic volcanic eruptions and landslides, but also suggests that landslides are the trigger. At the heart of Tenerife and standing almost 4 km high, Teide is one of the largest volcanoes on Earth. Over a period of several hundred thousand years, the previous incarnations of Teide have undergone a repeated cycle of very large eruptions, collapse, and regrowth.
  
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• Global analysis reveals how sharks travel the oceans to find food

  18-01-2018 20:29
  You’ve heard of “you are what you eat” - this research shows that for sharks, the more relevant phrase is “you are where you ate.”
  
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• Packing a genome, step-by-step

  18-01-2018 20:27
  For the first time, scientists can see in minute-time resolution how cells package chromosomes into highly condensed structures prior to cell division.
  
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• New method to stop cells dividing could help fight cancer

  18-01-2018 20:27
  Researchers have used a new strategy to shut down specific enzymes to stop cells from dividing. The method can be used as a strategy to fight cancer.
  
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• New instrument lets doctors view the entire eye with unprecedented level of detail

  18-01-2018 20:27
  Researchers have developed the first instrument that can provide a detailed image of the entire eye that can produce higher quality images than currently available.
  
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• Network model of the musculoskeletal system predicts compensatory injuries

  18-01-2018 20:27
  A new study is the first to convert the entire human body's network of bones and muscles into a comprehensive mathematical model.
  
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• Hunter-gatherers have a special way with smells

  18-01-2018 20:27
  When it comes to naming colors, most people do so with ease. But, for odors, it's much harder to find the words. One notable exception to this rule is found among the Jahai people, hunter-gatherers living in the Malay Peninsula. For them, odors are just as easy to name as colors. Now a new study suggests that the Jahai's special way with smell is related to their hunting and gathering lifestyle.
  
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• Fragile X finding shows normal neurons that interact poorly

  18-01-2018 20:27
  Neurons in mice afflicted with the genetic defect that causes Fragile X syndrome (FXS) appear similar to those in healthy mice, but these neurons fail to interact normally, resulting in the long-known cognitive impairments, shows a new study.
  
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• Fox Creek earthquakes linked to completion volume and location of hydraulic fracturing

  18-01-2018 20:27
  The volume of hydraulic fracturing fluid and the location of well pads control the frequency and occurrence of measurable earthquakes, new research has found.
  
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• First global atlas of the bacteria living in your dirt

  18-01-2018 20:27
  What lives in your dirt? Researchers are one step closer to finding out after compiling the first global atlas of soil bacterial communities and identifying a group of around 500 key species that are both common and abundant worldwide.
  
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• Certain flu virus mutations may compensate for fitness costs of other mutations

  18-01-2018 20:27
  Seasonal flu viruses continually undergo mutations that help them evade the human immune system, but some of these mutations can reduce a virus's potency. According to new research, certain mutations in the genome of influenza A may help counteract the weakening effects of other mutations.
  
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• Bovine tuberculosis shows genetic diversity throughout Africa

  18-01-2018 20:27
  Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis that affects cattle as well as other animals and humans. Now, by combining genotyping M. bovis samples from cows across African countries, researchers have been able to study the diversity and evolution of the disease.
  
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• A new, dynamic view of chromatin movements

  18-01-2018 20:27
  In cells, proteins tightly package the long thread of DNA into pearl necklace-like complexes known as chromatin. Scientists now show for the first time how chromatin moves, answering longstanding questions about how its structure helps regulate gene expression.
  
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• Root discovery may lead to crops that need less fertilizer

  18-01-2018 20:26
  Bean plants that suppress secondary root growth in favor of boosting primary root growth forage greater soil volume to acquire phosphorus, according to researchers, who say their recent findings have implications for plant breeders and improving crop productivity in nutrient-poor soils.
  
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• How cancer metastasis happens: Researchers reveal a key mechanism

  18-01-2018 20:26
  Cancer metastasis, the migration of cells from a primary tumor to form distant tumors in the body, can be triggered by a chronic leakage of DNA within tumor cells, according to new research.
  
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• Can mice really mirror humans when it comes to cancer?

  18-01-2018 20:26
  A new study is helping to answer a pressing question among scientists of just how close mice are to people when it comes to researching cancer. The findings reveal how mice can actually mimic human breast cancer tissue and its genes, even more so than previously thought, as well as other cancers including lung, oral and esophagus.
  
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• Why some fracking wells are prone to triggering earthquakes

  18-01-2018 20:22 via cbc.ca
  Why does fracking cause earthquakes in some places and not others? Alberta scientists say they’ve figured out some factors that make certain wells prone to triggering earthquakes.
  
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• Volume of fracking fluid pumped underground tied to Canada quakes

  18-01-2018 20:16
  
  Study links volume of fracking fluid injected underground with hundreds of quakes in central Canada, and not the rate at which the fluids were injected.
  
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• Scientists Move Closer to a Universal Flu Vaccine

  18-01-2018 20:00 via rss.sciam.com
  Researchers hope their new approach, which works well in lab animals, may save more lives-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• A robotic arm made of DNA moves at dizzying speed

  18-01-2018 20:00
  
  A DNA machine with a high-speed arm could pave the way for nanoscale factories.
  
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• Toward dynamic structural biology: Two decades of single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer

  18-01-2018 19:23
  Classical structural biology can only provide static snapshots of biomacromolecules. Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) paved the way for studying dynamics in macromolecular structures under biologically relevant conditions. Since its first implementation in 1996, smFRET experiments have confirmed previously hypothesized mechanisms and provided new insights into many fundamental biological processes, such as DNA maintenance and repair, transcription, translation, an
  
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• Structural mechanisms of centromeric nucleosome recognition by the kinetochore protein CENP-N

  18-01-2018 19:23
  Accurate chromosome segregation requires the proper assembly of kinetochore proteins. A key step in this process is the recognition of the histone H3 variant CENP-A in the centromeric nucleosome by the kinetochore protein CENP-N. We report cryo–electron microscopy (cryo-EM), biophysical, biochemical, and cell biological studies of the interaction between the CENP-A nucleosome and CENP-N. We show that human CENP-N confers binding specificity through interactions with the L1 loop of CENP-A,
  
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• Quantum liquid droplets in a mixture of Bose-Einstein condensates

  18-01-2018 19:23
  Quantum droplets are small clusters of atoms self-bound by the balance of attractive and repulsive forces. Here, we report on the observation of droplets solely stabilized by contact interactions in a mixture of two Bose-Einstein condensates. We demonstrate that they are several orders of magnitude more dilute than liquid helium by directly measuring their size and density via in situ imaging. We show that the droplets are stablized against collapse by quantum fluctuations and that they require
  
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• Phosphoethanolamine cellulose: A naturally produced chemically modified cellulose

  18-01-2018 19:23
  Cellulose is a major contributor to the chemical and mechanical properties of plants and assumes structural roles in bacterial communities termed biofilms. We find that Escherichia coli produces chemically modified cellulose that is required for extracellular matrix assembly and biofilm architecture. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the intact and insoluble material elucidates the zwitterionic phosphoethanolamine modification that had evaded detection by conventional method
  
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• Multiplexed gene synthesis in emulsions for exploring protein functional landscapes

  18-01-2018 19:23
  Improving our ability to construct and functionally characterize DNA sequences would broadly accelerate progress in biology. Here, we introduce DropSynth, a scalable, low-cost method to build thousands of defined gene-length constructs in a pooled (multiplexed) manner. DropSynth uses a library of barcoded beads that pull down the oligonucleotides necessary for a gene’s assembly, which are then processed and assembled in water-in-oil emulsions. We used DropSynth to successfully build more t
  
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• Membrane protein insertion through a mitochondrial {beta}-barrel gate

  18-01-2018 19:23
  The biogenesis of mitochondria, chloroplasts, and Gram-negative bacteria requires the insertion of β-barrel proteins into the outer membranes. Homologous Omp85 proteins are essential for membrane insertion of β-barrel precursors. It is unknown if precursors are threaded through the Omp85-channel interior and exit laterally or if they are translocated into the membrane at the Omp85-lipid interface. We have mapped the interaction of a precursor in transit with the mitochondrial Omp85-cha
  
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• Improving refugee integration through data-driven algorithmic assignment

  18-01-2018 19:23
  Developed democracies are settling an increased number of refugees, many of whom face challenges integrating into host societies. We developed a flexible data-driven algorithm that assigns refugees across resettlement locations to improve integration outcomes. The algorithm uses a combination of supervised machine learning and optimal matching to discover and leverage synergies between refugee characteristics and resettlement sites. The algorithm was tested on historical registry data from two c
  
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• Hydraulic fracturing volume is associated with induced earthquake productivity in the Duvernay play

  18-01-2018 19:23
  A sharp increase in the frequency of earthquakes near Fox Creek, Alberta, began in December 2013 in response to hydraulic fracturing. Using a hydraulic fracturing database, we explore relationships between injection parameters and seismicity response. We show that induced earthquakes are associated with completions that used larger injection volumes (104 to 105 cubic meters) and that seismic productivity scales linearly with injection volume. Injection pressure and rate have an insignificant ass
  
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• Genome-wide identification of interferon-sensitive mutations enables influenza vaccine design

  18-01-2018 19:23
  In conventional attenuated viral vaccines, immunogenicity is often suboptimal. Here we present a systematic approach for vaccine development that eliminates interferon (IFN)–modulating functions genome-wide while maintaining virus replication fitness. We applied a quantitative high-throughput genomics system to influenza A virus that simultaneously measured the replication fitness and IFN sensitivity of mutations across the entire genome. By incorporating eight IFN-sensitive mutations, we
  
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• Digitization of multistep organic synthesis in reactionware for on-demand pharmaceuticals

  18-01-2018 19:23
  Chemical manufacturing is often done at large facilities that require a sizable capital investment and then produce key compounds for a finite period. We present an approach to the manufacturing of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals in a self-contained plastic reactionware device. The device was designed and constructed by using a chemical to computer-automated design (ChemCAD) approach that enables the translation of traditional bench-scale synthesis into a platform-independent digital code. Th
  
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• Dicer uses distinct modules for recognizing dsRNA termini

  18-01-2018 19:23
  Invertebrates rely on Dicer to cleave viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), and Drosophila Dicer-2 distinguishes dsRNA substrates by their termini. Blunt termini promote processive cleavage, while 3' overhanging termini are cleaved distributively. To understand this discrimination, we used cryo–electron microscopy to solve structures of Drosophila Dicer-2 alone and in complex with blunt dsRNA. Whereas the Platform-PAZ domains have been considered the only Dicer domains that bind dsRNA termini
  
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• Chiromagnetic nanoparticles and gels

  18-01-2018 19:23
  Chiral inorganic nanostructures have high circular dichroism, but real-time control of their optical activity has so far been achieved only by irreversible chemical changes. Field modulation is a far more desirable path to chiroptical devices. We hypothesized that magnetic field modulation can be attained for chiral nanostructures with large contributions of the magnetic transition dipole moments to polarization rotation. We found that dispersions and gels of paramagnetic Co3O4 nanoparticles wit
  
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• A self-assembled nanoscale robotic arm controlled by electric fields

  18-01-2018 19:23
  The use of dynamic, self-assembled DNA nanostructures in the context of nanorobotics requires fast and reliable actuation mechanisms. We therefore created a 55-nanometer–by–55-nanometer DNA-based molecular platform with an integrated robotic arm of length 25 nanometers, which can be extended to more than 400 nanometers and actuated with externally applied electrical fields. Precise, computer-controlled switching of the arm between arbitrary positions on the platform can be achieved w
  
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• A global atlas of the dominant bacteria found in soil

  18-01-2018 19:23
  The immense diversity of soil bacterial communities has stymied efforts to characterize individual taxa and document their global distributions. We analyzed soils from 237 locations across six continents and found that only 2% of bacterial phylotypes (~500 phylotypes) consistently accounted for almost half of the soil bacterial communities worldwide. Despite the overwhelming diversity of bacterial communities, relatively few bacterial taxa are abundant in soils globally. We clustered these domin
  
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• After #MeToo, phone app allows you to legally consent to sex

  18-01-2018 19:01 via cbc.ca
  A Dutch startup is launching an app that will allow people to give legal consent to sex via their mobile in an initiative spurred by Sweden's plans to bolster its rape law.
  
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