Science news

• Federal budget shores up cyber defences but is silent on new jets and warships

  27-02-2018 22:34 via cbc.ca
  The Liberals' latest budget focuses on ones and zeros over tanks and troops by pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into new and improved cyber and national security defences.
  
  Read more

• Watch an experimental space shield shred a speeding bullet

  27-02-2018 21:45
  
  Engineers tested how well a prototype shield for spacecraft would stand up to space debris by shooting it with a solid aluminum pellet.
  
  Read more

• Optimistic cows more likely to take a chance, UBC researchers find

  27-02-2018 21:20 via cbc.ca
  New research out of the University of British Columbia finds that calves are born with more optimistic or pessimistic personalities, just like people.
  
  Read more

• Remembering Joe Polchinski, the modest physicist who conceived a multiverse

  27-02-2018 21:01
  
  String theorists lament the death of Joe Polchinski, one of their field’s most esteemed and respected thinkers.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• A rare rainstorm wakes undead microbes in Chile’s Atacama Desert

  27-02-2018 20:33
  
  Microbial life in Chile’s Atacama Desert bursts into bloom when moisture is available.
  
  Read more

• These giant viruses have more protein-making gear than any known virus

  27-02-2018 20:06
  
  Scientists have found two more giant viruses in extreme environments in Brazil.
  
  Read more

• Wdpcp promotes epicardial EMT and epicardium-derived cell migration to facilitate coronary artery remodeling

  27-02-2018 19:55 via stke.sciencemag.org
  During coronary vasculature development, endothelial cells enclose the embryonic heart to form the primitive coronary plexus. This structure is remodeled upon recruitment of epicardial cells that may undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to enable migration and that give rise to smooth muscle cells. In mice expressing a loss-of-function mutant form of Wdpcp, a gene involved in ciliogenesis, the enclosure of the surface of the heart by the subepicardial coronary plexus was accelerated b
  
  Read more

• The cost of being different

  27-02-2018 19:55 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Extensive genetic variations in GPCRs may alter responses to commonly used drugs and incur a high economic burden.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• New connections: TGF-{beta} in tumors

  27-02-2018 19:55 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Targeting the cytokine TGF-β in the tumor microenvironment enhances antitumor immune responses by infiltrating T cells.
  
  Read more

• Integrated in vivo multiomics analysis identifies p21-activated kinase signaling as a driver of colitis

  27-02-2018 19:55 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that has limited treatment options. To gain insight into the pathogenesis of chronic colonic inflammation (colitis), we performed a multiomics analysis that integrated RNA microarray, total protein mass spectrometry (MS), and phosphoprotein MS measurements from a mouse model of the disease. Because we collected all three types of data from individual samples, we tracked information flow from RNA to protein to ph
  
  Read more

• Convergence of Wnt, growth factor, and heterotrimeric G protein signals on the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Daple

  27-02-2018 19:55 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Cellular proliferation, differentiation, and morphogenesis are shaped by multiple signaling cascades, and their dysregulation plays an integral role in cancer progression. Three cascades that contribute to oncogenic potential are those mediated by Wnt proteins and the receptor Frizzled (FZD), growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), and heterotrimeric G proteins and associated GPCRs. Daple is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for the G protein Gαi. Daple also binds to FZD a
  
  Read more

• Enceladus Could Be Teeming with Methane-Belching Microbes

  27-02-2018 17:00 via rss.sciam.com
  New lab experiments suggest a particular microorganism could be the source of methane emanating from the oceanic depths of Saturn’s icy moon -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Sea swimming increases ailments

  27-02-2018 15:47
  People who swim, bathe or take part in water sports in the sea are substantially more likely to experience stomach bugs, ear aches and other types of illness than those who do not.
  
  Read more

• 'Social brain' networks are altered at a young age in autism

  27-02-2018 15:07
  As infants develop, they respond to social cues such as voices, faces and gestures. Their brain develops a network of regions that specialise in translating these cues, the 'social brain'. A common observation in infants later diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders is reduced sensitivity towards these social cues. A team of researchers from the University of Geneva brings evidence of how this phenomenon hinders the normal development of the social brain at early developmental stages.
  
  Read more

• Scientists monitor crop photosynthesis, performance using invisible light

  27-02-2018 15:07
  Twelve-foot metal poles with long outstretched arms dot a Midwestern soybean field to monitor an invisible array of light emitted by crops. This light can reveal the plants' photosynthetic performance throughout the growing season, according to newly published research.
  
  Read more

• Check offenders for history of head injuries

  27-02-2018 15:07
  Offenders should be routinely checked for signs of past head injuries, researchers say.
  
  Read more

• Another clue for fast motion of the Hawaiian hotspot

  27-02-2018 15:07
  Recent studies have suggested that the Hawaiian hotspot moved relatively quickly southward in the period from 60 to about 50 million years ago. This hypothesis is supported by a new study. Researchers have evaluated new rock dating of the Rurutu volcanic chain and added data from the Hawaiian-Emperor chain and the Louisville chain. It shows that the Hawaiian-Emperor hotspot displays strong motion between 60 and 48 million years ago.
  
  Read more

• Family blames iPhone for sparking fire that destroyed Langley farmhouse, demands $600K from Apple

  27-02-2018 13:00 via cbc.ca
  A B.C. couple are demanding Apple pay $600,000 in uninsured losses after they were forced to close their farm business following a devastating house fire that they claim was sparked by a faulty iPhone.
  
  Read more

• Hundreds of 'creepy' Instagram accounts target youth to grow online audience

  27-02-2018 11:00 via cbc.ca
  A Saint John-area mom found her 11-year-old son corresponding with an Instagram account that requested private messages from children at River Valley Middle School and Beaconsfield Middle School.
  
  Read more

• How blockchain, the technology behind bitcoin, could change your life

  27-02-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  Digital evangelists believe the technology behind bitcoin could revolutionize everything from legal contracts to the way we use the internet, writes Ramona Pringle.
  
  Read more

• Getting to the Root of the Problem: Stem Cells Are Revealing New Secrets about Mental Illness

  27-02-2018 07:45 via rss.sciam.com
  A fresh wave of research involves reprogramming ordinary skin cells into those found in the brain-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• When do aging brown dwarfs sweep the clouds away?

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (Carnegie Institution for Science) Brown dwarfs, the larger cousins of giant planets, undergo atmospheric changes from cloudy to cloudless as they age and cool. A team of astronomers measured for the first time the temperature at which this shift happens in young brown dwarfs. Their findings, published by The Astrophysical Journal Letters, may help them better understand how gas giant planets like our own Solar System's Jupiter evolved.
  
  Read more

• Wearable hospital lab: NSF awards $10M for bioimaging

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (Rice University) The National Science Foundation has awarded $10 million to a Rice University-led team that hopes to create wearable and point-of-care imaging devices that use on-chip illumination and sensing to non-invasively help diagnose and monitor nearly 100 health conditions that today require a biopsy or blood test.
  
  Read more

• UTA marketing senior wins business simulation competition

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (University of Texas at Arlington) Ryan Su took top honors in the 2017 Capsim Fall Challenge from five other finalists in an intense, eight-hour competition.
  
  Read more

• Ultra-fast graphene photonics for next generation datacomms

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (Graphene Flagship) At the Graphene Pavilion, experience the world's first all-graphene optical communication link operating at a data rate of 25 Gb/s per channel and at the Ericsson stand discover the first ultrafast graphene-based photonic switches in an Ericsson testbed. These graphene-based photonic devices are the potential building blocks of the next generation of mobile networks, leading to ultrafast data streams with extreme bandwidth which are essential for a data-driven future.
  
  Read more

• UGR scientist developed 3-D scans of beetles for Blade Runner 2049

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (University of Granada) One of the main visual effects companies behind Blade Runner 2049, BUF, sought the collaboration of Javier Alba-Tercedor, a Professor of Zoology at the University of Granada, to obtain scans of different species of beetles used in the film's visual effects.
  
  Read more

• UChicago scientists to lead $10 million NSF 'expedition' for practical quantum computing

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (University of Chicago) University of Chicago computer scientists will lead a $10 million 'expedition' into the burgeoning field of quantum computing, bringing applications of the nascent technology for computer science, physics, chemistry, and other fields at least a decade closer to practical use.
  
  Read more

• Tobacco benefits health with new plant breeding techniques

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (John Innes Centre) Researchers at the John Innes Centre are helping to lead a new European Union-funded project that promotes tobacco plants as organic mini factories producing vaccines and new drugs.
  
  Read more

• SwRI patents high-speed flash memory system for use on satellites

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (Southwest Research Institute) Engineers from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have patented a flash memory storage system that allows satellites to collect and store vast amounts of data for later transmission to ground stations.
  
  Read more

• Study suggests failed osteoarthritis drug could help treat opioid addiction

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (Indiana University) A study from Indiana University suggests that a drug proven safe for use in people may prevent opioid tolerance and physical dependence when used with opioid-based pain medications.
  
  Read more

• Study reveals Milky Way stars being evicted by invading galaxies

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (Columbia University) An international team of astronomers has discovered that some stars located in the Galactic halo surrounding the Milky Way -- previously thought to be remnants of invading galaxies from the past -- are instead former residents of the Galactic disk, kicked out by those invading dwarf galaxies.
  
  Read more

• States with strong tobacco control measures have fewer e-cigarette users

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (New York University) States with robust tobacco control policies and regulations, such as smoke free air laws and taxes on cigarettes, not only have fewer cigarette users but also fewer e-cigarette users, according to research from NYU School of Medicine and the NYU College of Global Public Health.
  
  Read more

• Simple urine test could measure how much our body has aged

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (Frontiers) New research shows that a substance indicating oxidative damage increases in urine as people get older, and describes an easy method to measure the level of this biomarker in human urine samples. This potentially provides a method to measure how much our body has aged, which could help predict our risk of developing age-related disease, and even our risk of death.
  
  Read more

• Shared decision-making between patients and clinicians can result in better choices

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus) As more and more older patients are offered advanced treatments for chronic diseases, including surgeries and implantable devices, new questions have arisen over how these decision are made.
  
  Read more

• Scientists map, track breakaway cancerous cells with metal detection

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (University of Southern California) A special imaging system plus metal detection enable scientists to produce highly detailed digital copies of breakaway cancer cells that could lead to more precise treatments.
  
  Read more

• Scientists link genes to brain anatomy in autism

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (University of Cambridge) A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge has discovered that specific genes are linked to individual differences in brain anatomy in autistic children.
  
  Read more

• Researchers learn more about reducing noise in tire systems by altering belt structure

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (Bentham Science Publishers) The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the belt structure on tire vibration and noise and as well as the relevant physical laws.
  
  Read more

• Quantum machine shows promise for biological research

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (University of Southern California) Much has been stated about the promise of quantum computing for myriad of applications but there have been few examples of a quantum advantage for real-world problems of practical interest. USC researchers have demonstrated how a quantum processor could be used as a predictive tool to assess a fundamental process in biology: the binding of gene regulatory proteins to the genome. This is one of the first documented examples in which a physical quantum processor
  
  Read more

• Princeton geologists solve fossil mystery by creating 3-D 'virtual tour' through rock

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (PrincetonUniversity) With an industrial grinder and some creative additions, Princeton geoscientists Adam Maloof and Akshay Mehra can transform rocks into three-dimensional digital landscapes that scientists can examine from any angle. 
  
  Read more

• Phones off: Smartphone use undermines enjoyment of face-to-face interactions at dinnertime

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (Society for Personality and Social Psychology) While 'Take your elbows off the dinner table,' is a common refrain for many families, people may soon add, 'take your phone off the table' to the list, too.According to research being presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, people with smartphones present during dinner time report less enjoyment than those who kept their phones away.
  
  Read more

• Only 25 percent of women receive appropriate advice on pregnancy weight gain

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) A new study of the role of healthcare provider recommendations on weight gain during pregnancy showed that while provider advice did influence gestational weight gain, only about one in four women received appropriate advice and another 25 percent received no advice.
  
  Read more

• Obesity could be linked to early childhood behavior

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (University of Waterloo) Health authorities will need to focus on more than eating habits if they are going to combat the obesity epidemic.
  
  Read more

• NSF invests $30 million to pursue transformative advances at frontiers of computing and information

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (National Science Foundation) The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces three new Expeditions in Computing awards, each providing $10 million in funding over five years to multi-investigator research teams pursuing large-scale, far-reaching and potentially transformative research in computer and information science and engineering. This year's awards aim to enable game-changing advances in real-time decision making, quantum computing and non-invasive biomedical imaging.
  
  Read more

• New research reports advances in measuring blood flow velocity in deep tissue

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (SPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics) The first photoacoustic measurements of blood flow using a handheld ultrasound unit that edges acoustic resolution-photoacoustic flowmetry (AR-PAF) closer to clinical use, has been reported by researchers from University College London and the University of Twente. Their work is outlined in an article in the Journal of Biomedical Optics published by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.
  
  Read more

• NASA joins international science team in exploring auroral cusp from Norway

  27-02-2018 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) North of Norway, the magnetic bubble surrounding Earth dips inward, allowing space particles to funnel in toward the planet. An international team will spend two years investigating the physics of heating and charged particle precipitation in this region, one of the few places on Earth with easy access to the electrically charged solar wind.
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!