Science news

• U.S., U.K. accuse Russia of launching cyber espionage campaign

  16-04-2018 22:13 via cbc.ca
  The United States and Britain on Monday alleged that Russian government-backed hackers had infected computer routers around the world in a cyber espionage campaign that targeted government agencies, businesses and critical infrastructure operators.
  
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• Delay for Nasa's Tess planet-hunter

  16-04-2018 22:11 via bbc.co.uk
  The launch of the Tess mission to find new worlds beyond our Solar System is delayed by 48 hours.
  
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• India Joins the Worldwide March for Science

  16-04-2018 21:55 via rss.sciam.com
  Scientists across 50 cities took to the streets against funding cuts and government leaders’ anti-science rhetoric-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Recycling hope for plastic-hungry enzyme

  16-04-2018 21:46 via bbc.co.uk
  Science created a 'wonder material' in plastic; now nature is helping to unmake it.
  
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• Dogs lived and died with humans 10,000 years ago in the Americas

  16-04-2018 21:30
  
  Dogs unearthed at sites in Illinois were older than originally thought.
  
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• The launch of NASA’s next exoplanet hunter is delayed

  16-04-2018 20:53
  
  NASA’s next exoplanet hunter, TESS, launches today to seek planets in 85 percent of the sky.
  
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• Delayed launch of NASA’s next exoplanet hunter is now set for tonight

  16-04-2018 20:53
  
  NASA’s next exoplanet hunter, TESS, launches today to seek planets in 85 percent of the sky.
  
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• Nasa's Tess planet-hunter: What stars sound like

  16-04-2018 18:58 via bbc.co.uk
  UK astronomer Bill Chaplin demonstrates the "sounds" that stars make and why this is useful to know.
  
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• Lasers squeezed iron to mimic the conditions of exoplanet cores

  16-04-2018 18:49
  
  In the first experiment to measure what exoplanets might be like on the inside, scientists hit iron with 176 lasers at once.
  
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• Caribou have almost vanished from the U.S. — a warning for Canada

  16-04-2018 17:58 via cbc.ca
  Biologists flew over southern British Columbia last week to count the number of caribou in the last remaining herd that migrates from B.C. to the U.S. — and what they saw stunned them.
  
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• Structure of a protein complex related with cell survival revealed

  16-04-2018 14:59
  Scientists have determined for the first time the high-resolution structure of a complex (R2TP) involved in key processes for cell survival and in diseases such as cancer. This achievement has been made possible by using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy.
  
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• Plants play greater role than megaherbivore extinctions in changes to ecosystem structure

  16-04-2018 14:59
  Plants may have exerted greater influence on our terrestrial ecosystems than the megaherbivores that used to roam our landscapes, according to new research.
  
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• New way to fight HIV transmission

  16-04-2018 14:59
  Scientists have developed a new tool to protect women from HIV infection.
  
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• Fast-acting benefits of ketamine for depression and suicidality

  16-04-2018 14:59
  A nasal spray formulation of ketamine shows promise in the rapid treatment of symptoms of major depression and suicidal thoughts, according to a new study. The double-blind study compared the standard treatment plus an intranasal formulation of esketamine, part of the ketamine molecule, to standard treatment plus a placebo for rapid treatment of symptoms of major depression, including suicidality, among individuals at imminent suicide risk.
  
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• Boosting T cell 'memory' may result in longer-lasting and effective responses for patients

  16-04-2018 14:59
  Just like people, some T cells have excellent memories. These subtypes known as memory T cells may explain why some immunotherapies are more effective than others and potentially lead to researchers designing more effective studies using combination checkpoint blockade treatments, according to experts.
  
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• A new hope: One of North America's rarest bees has its known range greatly expanded

  16-04-2018 14:59
  The Macropis cuckoo bee is one of the rarest bees in North America, partly because of its specialized ecological associations. It is a nest parasite of oil-collecting bees of the genus Macropis which, in turn, are dependent on oil-producing flowers of the genus Lysimachia. However, new data greatly expands the known range of the cuckoo, and has implications for its conservation status.
  
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• Predicting which trees are at greatest risk of beetle invasion

  16-04-2018 14:57
  This study shows that the composition of forests is more important than other factors when predicting where the destructive pest will strike next.
  
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• ‘Weird Math’ aims to connect numbers and equations to the real world

  16-04-2018 13:00
  
  The book Weird Math attempts to make chaos theory, higher dimensions and other concepts more relatable.
  
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• Q&A: 3-D Printing Rockets with Relativity Space CEO Tim Ellis

  16-04-2018 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  After years of stealthy activity, the start-up is making big moves and revealing its plans to overturn more than a half century of tradition in aerospace manufacturing-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Young Investigators honored by the American Association of Anatomists

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Experimental Biology 2018) The American Association of Anatomists (AAA) is honored to announce its 2018 Young Investigator Award winners. All awards will be presented during the Closing Awards Ceremony at AAA's 2018 annual meeting at Experimental Biology (EB) in San Diego, CA. The ceremony is being held Tuesday, April 24, 2017, at 7:30 pm.
  
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• When three months from now feels right around the corner

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management) If you've ever noticed yourself thinking about the timing of a plan in two opposing ways - something that feels longer off than your actual time calculation -- you're on to something. New research shows our different ways of estimating time don't necessarily move in lock-step.
  
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• We think we're the first advanced earthlings -- but how do we really know?

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (University of Rochester) Imagine if, many millions of years ago, dinosaurs drove cars through cities of mile-high buildings. A preposterous idea, right? In a compelling thought experiment, professor of physics and astronomy Adam Frank and director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Gavin Schmidt wonder how we would truly know if there were a past civilization so advanced that it left little or no trace of its impact on the planet.
  
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• Volunteering 2 hours per week reduces loneliness in widowed older adults, study finds

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Georgia State University) Widowed older adults can reduce the loneliness that results from the death of a spouse by volunteering 100 hours per year, which is about two hours per week, according to a recent study.
  
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• UTSA Open Cloud Institute supports cloud research & launches certificate program

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (University of Texas at San Antonio) The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Open Cloud Institute (OCI) is awarding nearly $200,000 in funding through its Cloud Computing Endowment Grant program to kick start UTSA research projects in cloud computing and to provide scholarships to 40 UTSA graduate students in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Information Systems and Cyber Security (ISCS) departments, working toward cloud computing-related degrees.
  
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• UH researcher to produce next generation of Hispanic obesity educators

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (University of Houston) The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture is serious about the next generation of Hispanic obesity educators. It has awarded UH health education professor Norma Olvera $297,385 to train them.
  
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• UCLA researchers use search engines, social media to predict syphilis trends

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences) UCLA-led research finds that internet search terms and tweets related to sexual risk behaviors can predict when and where syphilis trends will occur.
  
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• U of G study finds concerning connection between feminine hygiene products and infection

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (University of Guelph) Ninety-five percent of Canadian women have used vaginal hygiene products and a new study shows that these products might be doing more harm than good.
  
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• Two robots are better than one for NIST's 5G antenna measurement research

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)) Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) continue to pioneer new antenna measurement methods, this time for future 5G wireless communications systems.
  
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• Transgender youth more often diagnosed with mental health conditions

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Kaiser Permanente) Transgender and gender-nonconforming youth are diagnosed with mental health conditions much more frequently than young people who identify with the gender they are assigned at birth, according to new Kaiser Permanente research published today in Pediatrics.
  
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• Surviving climate change, then and now

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (University of Montreal) An archeological dig in Italy reveals that prehistoric humans made it through a major natural disaster by cooperating with each other -- and that's a lesson for our future.
  
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• SU2C researchers find promising treatment strategy for stage 1-3 NSCL cancer patients

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Entertainment Industry Foundation) A new, innovative approach to lung cancer treatment, administration of immunotherapy prior to surgery yielded encouraging outcomes in findings from SU2C-CRI Dream Team researchers. Two doses of anti-PD1 immunotherapy nivolumab several weeks prior to surgery was found to be safe; 45 percent of the trial patients showed little evidence of disease upon follow-up; and patients' immune systems intercepted circulating tumor cells to potentially prevent recurrence an
  
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• Study shows fast-acting benefits of ketamine for depression and suicidality

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (American Psychiatric Association) A nasal spray formulation of ketamine shows promise in the rapid treatment of symptoms of major depression and suicidal thoughts, according to a new study published online today in The American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP). The double-blind study compared the standard treatment plus an intranasal formulation of esketamine, part of the ketamine molecule, to standard treatment plus a placebo for rapid treatment of symptoms of major depression, including suicidalit
  
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• St. Baldrick's Foundation commits $8 million to support pediatric cancer dream team with SU2C

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Entertainment Industry Foundation) The work of the 2013 Stand Up To Cancer-St. Baldrick's Foundation Pediatric Cancer Dream Team will continue with a commitment of $8 million from St. Baldrick's Foundation; broaden its investigations capitalizing on its initial discoveries to focus on developing novel immunotherapy clinical trials for children with high-risk cancers. Dr. John Maris (CHOP) and Dr. Crystal Mackall (Stanford) will continue to lead the team. Leveraged funding will bring total suppo
  
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• Spikes of graphene can kill bacteria on implants

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Chalmers University of Technology) A tiny layer of graphene flakes becomes a deadly weapon and kills bacteria, stopping infections during procedures such as implant surgery. This is the findings of new research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, recently published in the scientific journal Advanced Materials Interfaces.
  
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• Should states support pregnant teens and their babies?

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan) The majority of US adults with children agree that state support for pregnant teens is a good investment but want to see teens meet certain criteria -- including taking parenting classes --before receiving assistance.
  
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• Seaweed-into-biofuel project gets Department of Energy support

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Colorado State University) A Colorado State University project to grow and harvest ocean macroalgae for biofuel production has received support from the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. The project is led by Pacific Northwest National Lab Research Engineer Michael Huesemann and is initially being awarded $500,000 over the course of one year, but may be considered for further funding.
  
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• Scientists create technology that measures tumors' drug resistance up to 10 times faster

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Virginia Commonwealth University) A group of scientists from VCU Massey Cancer Center and UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a new, high-speed microscopy platform that can measure a cancer cell's resistance to drugs up to 10 times faster than existing technology, potentially informing more effective treatment selection for cancer patients. The technology is being presented in abstract form today at the American Association for Cancer Research's Annual Meeting in Chicago.
  
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• Run faster, learn better

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown) Learning and performance can be enhanced by locomotor activity in mice, concludes a new study.
  
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• Reversing brain injury in newborns and adults

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Oregon Health & Science University) Researchers at OHSU in Portland, Ore., have identified a new molecule within the brain's white matter that blocks the organ's ability to repair itself following injury. By preventing the production of this molecule, it is possible to create an effective pathway that allows the brain to continue its regenerative process. This may help to limit long-term physical and mental disability associated with devastating neurological conditions.
  
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• Randomized clinical trial examines therapies for chronic spinal pain

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (JAMA Network) In a randomized clinical trial of patients with chronic spinal pain, a program that combined education to help patients think differently about pain with an exercise program that increasingly introduced movements patients feared or avoided (pain neuroscience education plus cognition-targeted motor control training) appeared better than usual care (combining education on back and neck pain and general exercise therapy) at reducing pain and improving function and thoughts of pain.
  
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• Quantum shift shows itself in coupled light and matter

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Rice University) Researchers observe and measure a Bloch-Siegert shift in strongly coupled light and matter in a vacuum. The Rice University-led project could aid in the development of quantum computers.
  
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• Proving what can't be seen

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (University of Miami) New research published in The Astrophysical Journal examines an interesting light source that was captured by four different telescopes each pointing in a different direction in the sky.
  
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• Post-surgical opioids can, paradoxically, lead to chronic pain

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (University of Colorado at Boulder) Giving opioids to animals to quell pain after surgery prolongs pain for three weeks and primes specialized immune cells in the spinal cord to be more reactive to pain, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder. The authors say the paradoxical findings could add a new wrinkle to the conversation about the national opioid epidemic.
  
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• Position statement: Avoid using medical marijuana to treat sleep apnea

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (American Academy of Sleep Medicine) Medical cannabis and synthetic marijuana extracts should not be used for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, according to a position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).
  
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• PolyU's Spectacle Lens for Myopia Control named the champion in Geneva's Invention Expo

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University ) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has brought glory to Hong Kong by winning 9 prizes, namely the Grand Prize (overall championship), one Grand Award, three Special Gold Medals, and four Gold Medals, at the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.
  
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• Once upon a time, an exoplanet was discovered

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Springer) In recent history, a very important achievement was the discovery, in 1995, of 51 Pegasi b, the first extrasolar planet ever found around a normal star other than the sun. In a paper published in EPJ H, Davide Cenadelli from the Aosta Valley Astronomical Observatory (Italy) interviews Michel Mayor from Geneva Observatory (Switzerland) about his personal recollections of discovering this exoplanet.
  
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• New research: High risk of malaria transmission after blood transfusions in sub-Saharan Africa

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Burness) A new study suggests that in high transmission areas of sub-Saharan Africa, nearly one in four blood bank supplies contain the parasites that cause malaria. Additional research, focusing on the blood supply of Equatorial Guinea's capital, Malabo, found slightly higher levels of latent malaria infection, most of it -- more than 89 percent -- at a level that commonly used diagnostic technology cannot detect. Both studies were presented at the 7th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM)
  
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• Motivation for using fake Instagram (Finsta) is not to reveal inappropriate self

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (International Communication Association) As Instagram is viewed as a place for building the ideal self, some users have created fake Instagram (Finsta) accounts to buck this trend. But are these 'fake' accounts really there to express the real, sometimes ugly self, or is there a deeper motivation? A recent study by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, found that users align their real Instagram accounts (Rinsta) with their actual self and to escape from reality, whereas Finsta to foste
  
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• More prehospital deaths may mean increased intensity in violence

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Johns Hopkins Medicine) A new Johns Hopkins Medicine analysis of national trauma data shows that trauma patients were four times more likely to die from gunshot wounds and nearly nine times more likely to die from stab wounds before getting to a trauma center in 2014, compared with rates in 2007.
  
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• Montana State professor wins American Avalanche Association award

  16-04-2018 06:00
  (Montana State University) Ed Adams, professor of civil engineering, has received the American Avalanche Association's highest honor, which recognizes special achievement in research and other work related to snow avalanches. Adams has published more than 85 articles and made nearly 100 presentations related to snow and ice mechanics since joining the MSU faculty in 1992.
  
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