Science news

• The make-up artist making designs with dead insects

  30-01-2018 22:19 via bbc.co.uk
  Jasmine Ahumada, from California, attaches spiders and bees to her face to create her distinctive looks.
  
  Read more

• Bacterial diversity's shelf life longer than previously expected

  30-01-2018 22:10
  Scientists have published a study showing that bacterial diversity may stick around millions of years longer than previously thought.
  
  Read more

• Babies’ kicks in the womb are good for their bones

  30-01-2018 22:00
  
  A new study adds to the evidence that fetal workouts are important for strong bodies.
  
  Read more

• RSPB Minsmere winter starling murmuration

  30-01-2018 21:26 via bbc.co.uk
  Starlings take to the skies to create a spectacular aerial ballet before settling on roost.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• TBI is associated with increased dementia risk for decades after injury

  30-01-2018 21:22
  Traumatic brain injuries increase the risk of a dementia diagnosis for more than 30 years after a trauma, though the risk of dementia decreases over time, according to a new study.
  
  Read more

• For children with respiratory infections, antibiotics with narrower targets are better

  30-01-2018 21:22
  When doctors prescribe antibiotics for children with common respiratory infections, a more selective approach is better. A study of 30,000 children with earaches, strep throat and other common infections found that narrow-spectrum antibiotics, which act against a smaller range of bacteria, had fewer adverse effects than broad-spectrum antibiotics, which target a broader variety of bacteria. For both practical and clinical outcomes, narrow-spectrum antibiotics performed equally well or better tha
  
  Read more

• Vitamin D3 could help heal or prevent cardiovascular damage

  30-01-2018 20:02
  A new study shows that Vitamin D3 could help restore damage to the cardiovascular system caused by diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
  
  Read more

• It's not how you play the game, but how the dice were made

  30-01-2018 20:02
  Over time, dice used in playing games have changed in shape and size and evolved with considerations about fairness, chance and probability.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• SILAC identifies LAD1 as a filamin-binding regulator of actin dynamics in response to EGF and a marker of aggressive breast tumors

  30-01-2018 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Mutations mimicking growth factor–induced proliferation and motility characterize aggressive subtypes of mammary tumors. To unravel currently unknown players in these processes, we performed phosphoproteomic analysis on untransformed mammary epithelial cells (MCF10A) that were stimulated in culture with epidermal growth factor (EGF). We identified ladinin-1 (LAD1), a largely uncharacterized protein to date, as a phosphorylation-regulated mediator of the EGF-to-ERK pathway. Further experime
  
  Read more

• Sensing bacterial infection

  30-01-2018 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The endoplasmic reticulum–resident adaptor protein ERAdP senses bacterial c-di-AMP to stimulate an immune response.
  
  Read more

• KIF22 coordinates CAR and EGFR dynamics to promote cancer cell proliferation

  30-01-2018 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is a transmembrane receptor that plays a key role in cell-cell adhesion. CAR is found in normal epithelial cells and is increased in abundance in various human tumors, including lung carcinomas. We investigated the potential mechanisms by which CAR contributes to cancer cell growth and found that depletion of CAR in human lung cancer cells reduced anchorage-independent growth, epidermal growth factor (EGF)–dependent proliferation, and tumor
  
  Read more

• Fluorescent Ca2+ indicators directly inhibit the Na,K-ATPase and disrupt cellular functions

  30-01-2018 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Fluorescent Ca2+ indicators have been essential for the analysis of Ca2+ signaling events in various cell types. We showed that chemical Ca2+ indicators, but not a genetically encoded Ca2+ indicator, potently suppressed the activity of Na+- and K+-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (Na,K-ATPase), independently of their Ca2+ chelating activity. Loading of commonly used Ca2+ indicators, including Fluo-4 acetoxymethyl (AM), Rhod-2 AM, and Fura-2 AM, and of the Ca2+ chelator BAPTA AM into cultured m
  
  Read more

• EGFR-induced cytoskeletal changes drive complex cell behaviors: The tip of the iceberg

  30-01-2018 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Cytoskeletal networks are dramatically reorganized upon EGF stimulation to enable complex cell behaviors such as cell-cell communication, migration and invasion, and cell division. In this issue of Science Signaling, Roth et al. and Pike et al. use proteomic methods to identify several effectors of EGF responses. The findings show the interdependent nature of growth factor signaling and the cytoskeleton and identify potential new therapeutic targets for treating cancer and other growth factor&nd
  
  Read more

• Viruses prefer cultivated areas to natural areas

  30-01-2018 19:42
  Cultivated areas are more affected by viral epidemics than non-cultivated areas.
  
  Read more

• The fight against tooth decay gets help with a new smart material

  30-01-2018 18:38
  When patients go to the dentist to fill a cavity, they're trying to solve a problem -- not create a new one. But many dental patients get some bad news: bacteria can dig under their tooth-colored fillings and cause new cavities, called recurrent caries. U of T researchers designed a novel solution: a filling material with tiny particles containing antimicrobial drugs, designed to stop bacteria in its tracks.
  
  Read more

• Specific bacteria may change the cervix of a pregnant woman and lead to preterm birth

  30-01-2018 18:37
  New findings demonstrate that the byproducts of certain bacteria induce cervical changes which may lead to preterm birth.
  
  Read more

• Research finds early childhood program linked to degree completion at age 35

  30-01-2018 18:37
  Participating in an intensive early childhood education program from preschool to third grade is linked to higher educational attainment in mid-life, according to a new study.
  
  Read more

• Bacteria in milk and beef linked to rheumatoid arthritis

  30-01-2018 18:37
  A strain of bacteria commonly found in milk and beef may be a trigger for developing rheumatoid arthritis in people who are genetically at risk, according to a new study.
  
  Read more

• Scientists identify brain region in mice that keeps the body from losing its balance

  30-01-2018 18:36
  New research reveals how a small part of the brain singlehandedly steadies the body if it is thrown off balance. The study in mice found that this region accomplishes this by moving muscles in a two-step response that first widens the animal's center of gravity, and then strengthens and stabilizes its limb muscles and joints. These findings offer insight into the mechanics of how animals stay upright when unexpected changes occur beneath their feet.
  
  Read more

• Running away from carbon dioxide: The terminal connection

  30-01-2018 18:36
  Like us, fish need oxygen, and swimming through a patch of carbon dioxide turns out not to be a pleasant experience. Instead, they prefer to avoid carbon dioxide altogether. Researchers have discovered a neuronal pathway that makes this behavior possible.
  
  Read more

• Pancreatic cancer: Gene duplication explains tumor aggressiveness

  30-01-2018 18:36
  Pancreatic cancer is a form of cancer associated with the highest mortality rates in the world. Genetic changes that could explain his aggressiveness and early metastasis had not been found yet. A team has now shown that those characteristics can be explained by specific gene amplifications which occur along various evolutionary pathways of the cancer. Based on this discovery, they have derived basic principles underlying the biology of pancreatic cancer.
  
  Read more

• No definitive causal link between sunbed use and malignant melanoma

  30-01-2018 18:36
  A careful review of the currently available medical data shows that there is no proven causal relationship between moderate solarium use and increased melanoma risk.
  
  Read more

• Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing differs by patient age, insurance, race

  30-01-2018 18:36
  A patient's age and race are associated with risk of receiving an unneeded antibiotic prescription for upper respiratory conditions caused by viruses, according to a new study. Additionally, the study found that advanced practice providers, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, are 15 percent more likely than physician providers to prescribe antibiotics to adults.
  
  Read more

• B.C. beetles are shrinking as habitat warms up, study finds

  30-01-2018 18:23 via cbc.ca
  Researchers studied 6,500 bugs collected over the past 100 years.
  
  Read more

• Scrutiny over wood and coal fires in UK homes

  30-01-2018 16:35 via bbc.co.uk
  Burning wood and coal in people's homes will come under scrutiny as part of a government drive to improve air pollution.
  
  Read more

• UK regional weather forecasts could be improved using jet stream data

  30-01-2018 15:47
  Weather forecasters could be able to better predict regional rainfall and temperatures by using North Atlantic jet stream data, according to new research. Climate scientists examined the relationship between changes in North Atlantic atmospheric circulation -- or jet stream -- and UK regional weather variations during summer and winter months over the past 65 years, and found that the jet stream changes were significantly associated with variations in regional rainfall and temperatures.
  
  Read more

• New computational method reveals chemoresistance drug targets

  30-01-2018 15:47
  The methylation of deoxycytosine to form 5-methylcytosine (5mC) is an important feature of cancer. Extensive DNA methylation and transcription analyses have provided large quantities of data, but it is challenging to identify critical genes related to cancer development from these data. Researchers in Japan have developed a new mathematical method to extract appropriate information from the data, and successfully identified the gene TRAF4 as a key candidate for conferring resistance to anti-canc
  
  Read more

• Language is learned in brain circuits that predate humans

  30-01-2018 15:47
  It has often been claimed that humans learn language using brain components that are specifically dedicated to this purpose. Now, new evidence strongly suggests that language is in fact learned in brain systems that are also used for many other purposes and even pre-existed humans.
  
  Read more

• Customizable, fabric-like power source for wearable electronics

  30-01-2018 15:47
  Scientists have created a customizable, fabric-like power source that can be cut, folded or stretched without losing its function. Being highly stretchable, these flexible power sources are promising next-generation 'fabric' energy storage devices that could be integrated into wearable electronics.
  
  Read more

• Patient exposure to X-rays depends on how dentists are paid

  30-01-2018 15:13
  Dentists’ calculation of the benefits vs the risks of X-rays is being distorted by financial incentives. 
  
  Read more

• Giant earthquakes: Not as random as thought

  30-01-2018 15:12
  By analyzing sediment cores from Chilean lakes, an international team of scientists discovered that giant earthquakes reoccur with relatively regular intervals. When also taking into account smaller earthquakes, the repeat interval becomes increasingly more irregular to a level where earthquakes happen randomly in time.
  
  Read more

• Study proves ‘muscle memory’ exists at a DNA level

  30-01-2018 15:11
  A study has shown for the first time that human muscles possess a ‘memory’ of earlier growth - at the DNA level.
  
  Read more

• Breastfeeding reduces hypertension risk

  30-01-2018 15:08
  A new study indicates that women who breastfeed more children, and for longer periods of time, are less likely to suffer from hypertension after they reach menopause. This is less true of obese women, however.
  
  Read more

• Blood vessels-on-a-chip show anti-cancer drug effects in human cells

  30-01-2018 15:08
  Researchers report new organ-on-a-chip technology to observe sprouting angiogenesis from a single blood vessel. VEGF stimulated new capillaries from the single vessel by activating NOTCH signaling, recapitulating biochemical events of the human angiogenesis. The chip also confirmed the effects of two FDA-approved anti-angiogenic drugs, demonstrating its applicability to drug discovery.
  
  Read more

• Trump Administration Idea for Nationalized 5G Falls Flat

  30-01-2018 13:30 via rss.sciam.com
  Critics pan National Security Council call for the government to build its own high-speed wireless network-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Trump's Tax Bill Seen as a "Poke in the Eye" to America's Solar Future

  30-01-2018 13:15 via rss.sciam.com
  Are tariffs on solar panels and cuts to energy research preparing the U.S. for the inevitable growth in renewables?-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Trump's Tax Bill a "Poke in the Eye" to America's Solar Future

  30-01-2018 13:15 via rss.sciam.com
  Are tariffs on solar panels and cuts to energy research preparing the U.S. for the inevitable growth in renewables?-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Universes with no weak force might still have stars and life

  30-01-2018 13:00
  
  An alternate universe that lacks one of the four fundamental forces might still have galaxies, stars, planets and perhaps life, a new study suggests.
  
  Read more

• Where Plastic Goes, Coral Disease Follows

  30-01-2018 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  An onslaught of bottles, bags and other litter makes reefs 20 times more likely to get sick. Scientists are scrambling to learn why  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Could a tweet start a war? How smartphones and social media are creating new battlegrounds

  30-01-2018 11:38 via cbc.ca
  Could a tweet start a war? How smartphones and social media are creating new battlegrounds
  
  Read more

• Volkswagen faces new twist in emissions scandal as allegations of animal testing emerge

  30-01-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  German automaker Volkswagen is facing a new round of criticism after the company was found to have funded tests of its diesel engine emissions on captive monkeys as part of an attempt to brand its vehicles as clean, safe and healthy.
  
  Read more

• Your brain reveals who your friends are

  30-01-2018 06:00
  (Dartmouth College) You may perceive the world the way your friends do, according to a Dartmouth study finding that friends have similar neural responses to real-world stimuli and these similarities can be used to predict who your friends are.
  
  Read more

• Women beat expectations when playing chess against men, according to new research

  30-01-2018 06:00
  (University of Sheffield) Data from 160,000 ranked chess players and more than five million chess matches suggests that women playing against men perform better than expected based on their official chess ratings, according to a new study by the University of Sheffield.
  
  Read more

• Women beat expectations when playing chess against men

  30-01-2018 06:00
  (Association for Psychological Science) Data from 160,000 ranked chess players and more than 5 million chess matches suggest that women playing against men perform better than expected based on their official chess ratings, according to new findings published in Psychological Science. The study results indicate that women players are not affected by negative stereotypes about women's chess abilities during competition games, in contrast with previous research on the phenomenon of "stereotyp
  
  Read more

• What factors make 'age-friendly environments' effective?

  30-01-2018 06:00
  (University of Liverpool) A new study, published in the journal Systematic Reviews, conducted by researchers at the University of Liverpool and Newcastle University has identified the most effective initiatives for promoting respect and social inclusion for older people living in the community.
  
  Read more

• Weiss receives Charles R. Darwin Lifetime Achievement Award

  30-01-2018 06:00
  (Penn State) Kenneth Weiss, Evan Pugh University Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Genetics, was awarded the Charles R. Darwin Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 by the American Association of Physical Anthropologists.
  
  Read more

• This is your brain. This is your brain outdoors

  30-01-2018 06:00
  (University of Alberta) The brain acts much differently when we're outdoors compared to when we're inside the lab, a new study has found."It happens when we're doing normal, everyday activities, like riding a bike," explained Kyle Mathewson, a neuroscientist in UAlberta's Department of Psychology.
  
  Read more

• Taking the journal article to the next level: Taylor & Francis partner with Code Ocean

  30-01-2018 06:00
  (Code Ocean) Taylor & Francis and Code Ocean announce a new partnership that enables researchers to easily share and run code, making journal articles more robust.
  
  Read more

• SU2C awards $11M in grants to investigate immunotherapies using AI with Microsoft support

  30-01-2018 06:00
  (Entertainment Industry Foundation) SU2C awards $11M in 'Convergence 2.0' grants to investigate immune system response to cancers using Microsoft Research's machine learning and artificial intelligence. Each team comprising life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics and engineering experts will collaborate with Microsoft's machine learning experts exploring cancer/immune system interaction that can lead to development of new treatments. In addition the Lustgarten Foundation committed $1.76M;
  
  Read more

• SU2C awards $11 million in grants to investigate immunotherapies using AI with Microsoft support

  30-01-2018 06:00
  (Entertainment Industry Foundation) SU2C awards $11 million in 'Convergence 2.0' grants to investigate immune system response to cancers using Microsoft Research's machine learning and artificial intelligence. Each team comprising life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics and engineering experts will collaborate with Microsoft's machine learning experts exploring cancer/immune system interaction that can lead to development of new treatments. In addition the Lustgarten Foundation committed $
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!