Science news

• Museum researchers rediscover animal not seen in 30 years

  19-04-2018 23:27
  Researchers have rediscovered the San Quintin kangaroo rat (Dipodomys gravipes) in Baja California. The Museum is partnering with Terra and local authorities on a conservation plan for the species, which was last seen in 1986, and was listed as endangered by the Mexican government in 1994. It was held as an example of modern extinction due to agricultural conversion.
  
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• Male contraceptive compound stops sperm without affecting hormones: Study in monkeys

  19-04-2018 23:26
  A new study details how a compound called EP055 binds to sperm proteins to significantly slow the overall mobility of the sperm without affecting hormones, making EP055 a potential 'male pill' without side effects.
  
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• Extinction of world's biggest mammals tied to spread of humans

  19-04-2018 22:37 via cbc.ca
  The spread of humans around the world from Africa thousands of years ago wiped out big mammals in a trend that, if it continues, could make the cow the biggest mammal on Earth in a few centuries' time, a scientific study said on Thursday.
  
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• UK weather: Why this isn't a heatwave... yet

  19-04-2018 22:02 via bbc.co.uk
  People across the UK have been enjoying unusually warm weather, but when can we call it a heatwave?
  
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• Vitamin D deficiency linked to greater risk of diabetes

  19-04-2018 21:46
  An epidemiological study suggests that persons deficient in vitamin D may be at much greater risk of developing diabetes.
  
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• Variants in non-coding DNA contribute to inherited autism risk

  19-04-2018 21:46
  In recent years, researchers have firmly established that gene mutations appearing for the first time, called de novo mutations, contribute to approximately one-third of cases of autism spectrum disorder. In a new study scientists have identified a culprit that may explain some of the remaining risk: rare inherited variants in regions of non-coding DNA.
  
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• Dementia diagnosis linked to unnecessary medication use

  19-04-2018 21:46
  A new study has found that medication use increases in newly diagnosed dementia patients, particularly unnecessary or inappropriate medications.
  
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• Trudeau not ready to join British PM's ban on single-use plastics

  19-04-2018 21:44 via cbc.ca
  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped short today of echoing British Prime Minister Theresa May's call for Commonwealth members to ban single-use plastics — but pointed to a planned discussion at the next G7 summit later this year.
  
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• Larger spleens may help ‘sea nomads’ stay underwater longer

  19-04-2018 21:04
  
  The Bajau people of Southeast Asia have a gene variant associated with larger spleens, boosting their oxygen while breath-hold diving, researchers say.
  
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• Bajau people 'evolved bigger spleens' for free-diving

  19-04-2018 20:49 via bbc.co.uk
  In an example of human natural selection, Asia's Bajau people have evolved bigger spleens for diving.
  
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• Meet the newest 'exploding ant' that sacrifices itself for the good of the colony

  19-04-2018 20:40 via cbc.ca
  Deep in the forests of Borneo live species of ants with a rather novel way of fending off enemies: they explode.
  
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• Your grandchildren may retire before we achieve gender equality in STEMM

  19-04-2018 20:15
  New research has calculated that without further interventions, the gender gap for women working in STEMM is very likely to persist for generations, particularly in surgery, computer science, physics and maths.
  
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• Unprecedented wave of large-mammal extinctions linked to prehistoric humans

  19-04-2018 20:15
  Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and other recent human relatives may have begun hunting large mammal species down to size -- by way of extinction -- at least 90,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to a new study. The magnitude and scale of the extinction wave surpassed any other recorded during the last 66 million years, according to the study.
  
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• Judges as susceptible to gender bias as laypeople -- and sometimes more so

  19-04-2018 20:15
  A new study of trial court judges suggests these arbiters of the law sometimes let their personal ideas about gender roles influence their decision-making. The findings, which are part of a broader study of judicial behavior, revealed that the judges were just as likely as laypeople to discriminate - in ways that harmed both men and women - in decisions involving child custody or workplace discrimination cases related to family caregiving duties.
  
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• Great Barrier Reef coral predicted to last at least 100 years before extinction from climate change

  19-04-2018 20:15
  A common Great Barrier Reef coral species has enough genetic diversity to survive at least 100 years before succumbing to global warming, researchers predict.
  
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• Chip-based blood test for multiple myeloma could make bone biopsies a relic of the past

  19-04-2018 20:15
  A new research effort has resulted in a low-cost, reliable blood test that uses a small plastic chip about the size of a credit card that can deliver the same diagnostic information as a bone biopsy -- but using a simple blood draw instead.
  
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• A complete cell atlas and lineage tree of the immortal flatworm

  19-04-2018 20:15
  From one stem cell to many differentiated body cells: Scientists have now published a comprehensive lineage tree of a whole adult animal. This was made possible by a combination of RNA and computational technologies.
  
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• Rising CO2 levels might not be as good for plants as we thought

  19-04-2018 20:00
  
  A 20-year experiment spots a reversal in the way two kinds of plants take up extra carbon from the atmosphere.
  
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• Unexpected reversal of C3 versus C4 grass response to elevated CO2 during a 20-year field experiment

  19-04-2018 19:37
  Theory predicts and evidence shows that plant species that use the C4 photosynthetic pathway (C4 species) are less responsive to elevated carbon dioxide (eCO2) than species that use only the C3 pathway (C3 species). We document a reversal from this expected C3-C4 contrast. Over the first 12 years of a 20-year free-air CO2 enrichment experiment with 88 C3 or C4 grassland plots, we found that biomass was markedly enhanced at eCO2 relative to ambient CO2 in C3 but not C4 plots, as expected. During
  
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• Ultralarge elastic deformation of nanoscale diamond

  19-04-2018 19:37
  Diamonds have substantial hardness and durability, but attempting to deform diamonds usually results in brittle fracture. We demonstrate ultralarge, fully reversible elastic deformation of nanoscale (~300 nanometers) single-crystalline and polycrystalline diamond needles. For single-crystalline diamond, the maximum tensile strains (up to 9%) approached the theoretical elastic limit, and the corresponding maximum tensile stress reached ~89 to 98 gigapascals. After combining systematic computation
  
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• Two-billion-year-old evaporites capture Earths great oxidation

  19-04-2018 19:37
  Major changes in atmospheric and ocean chemistry occurred in the Paleoproterozoic era (2.5 to 1.6 billion years ago). Increasing oxidation dramatically changed Earth’s surface, but few quantitative constraints exist on this important transition. This study describes the sedimentology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of a 2-billion-year-old, ~800-meter-thick evaporite succession from the Onega Basin in Russian Karelia. The deposit consists of a basal unit dominated by halite (~100 meters) foll
  
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• Systematic analysis of complex genetic interactions

  19-04-2018 19:37
  To systematically explore complex genetic interactions, we constructed ~200,000 yeast triple mutants and scored negative trigenic interactions. We selected double-mutant query genes across a broad spectrum of biological processes, spanning a range of quantitative features of the global digenic interaction network and tested for a genetic interaction with a third mutation. Trigenic interactions often occurred among functionally related genes, and essential genes were hubs on the trigenic network.
  
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• Synaptic transmission from subplate neurons controls radial migration of neocortical neurons

  19-04-2018 19:37
  The neocortex exhibits a six-layered structure that is formed by radial migration of excitatory neurons, for which the multipolar-to-bipolar transition of immature migrating multipolar neurons is required. Here, we report that subplate neurons, one of the first neuron types born in the neocortex, manage the multipolar-to-bipolar transition of migrating neurons. By histochemical, imaging, and microarray analyses on the mouse embryonic cortex, we found that subplate neurons extend neurites toward
  
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• Structure of a prehandover mammalian ribosomal SRP{middle dot}SRP receptor targeting complex

  19-04-2018 19:37
  Signal recognition particle (SRP) targets proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). SRP recognizes the ribosome synthesizing a signal sequence and delivers it to the SRP receptor (SR) on the ER membrane followed by the transfer of the signal sequence to the translocon. Here, we present the cryo–electron microscopy structure of the mammalian translating ribosome in complex with SRP and SR in a conformation preceding signal sequence handover. The structure visualizes all eukaryotic-specifi
  
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• Recurrences in an isolated quantum many-body system

  19-04-2018 19:37
  The complexity of interacting quantum many-body systems leads to exceedingly long recurrence times of the initial quantum state for all but the smallest systems. For large systems, one cannot probe the full quantum state in all its details. Thus, experimentally, recurrences can only be determined on the level of the accessible observables. Realizing a commensurate spectrum of collective excitations in one-dimensional superfluids, we demonstrate recurrences of coherence and long-range order in an
  
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• Probing the ultimate plasmon confinement limits with a van der Waals heterostructure

  19-04-2018 19:37
  The ability to confine light into tiny spatial dimensions is important for applications such as microscopy, sensing, and nanoscale lasers. Although plasmons offer an appealing avenue to confine light, Landau damping in metals imposes a trade-off between optical field confinement and losses. We show that a graphene-insulator-metal heterostructure can overcome that trade-off, and demonstrate plasmon confinement down to the ultimate limit of the length scale of one atom. This is achieved through fa
  
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• Paternally inherited cis-regulatory structural variants are associated with autism

  19-04-2018 19:37
  The genetic basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is known to consist of contributions from de novo mutations in variant-intolerant genes. We hypothesize that rare inherited structural variants in cis-regulatory elements (CRE-SVs) of these genes also contribute to ASD. We investigated this by assessing the evidence for natural selection and transmission distortion of CRE-SVs in whole genomes of 9274 subjects from 2600 families affected by ASD. In a discovery cohort of 829 families, structural
  
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• Observing the cell in its native state: Imaging subcellular dynamics in multicellular organisms

  19-04-2018 19:37
  True physiological imaging of subcellular dynamics requires studying cells within their parent organisms, where all the environmental cues that drive gene expression, and hence the phenotypes that we actually observe, are present. A complete understanding also requires volumetric imaging of the cell and its surroundings at high spatiotemporal resolution, without inducing undue stress on either. We combined lattice light-sheet microscopy with adaptive optics to achieve, across large multicellular
  
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• Multidimensional quantum entanglement with large-scale integrated optics

  19-04-2018 19:37
  The ability to control multidimensional quantum systems is central to the development of advanced quantum technologies. We demonstrate a multidimensional integrated quantum photonic platform able to generate, control, and analyze high-dimensional entanglement. A programmable bipartite entangled system is realized with dimensions up to 15 x 15 on a large-scale silicon photonics quantum circuit. The device integrates more than 550 photonic components on a single chip, including 16 identical photon
  
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• MFN2 agonists reverse mitochondrial defects in preclinical models of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A

  19-04-2018 19:37
  Mitofusins (MFNs) promote fusion-mediated mitochondrial content exchange and subcellular trafficking. Mutations in Mfn2 cause neurodegenerative Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A (CMT2A). We showed that MFN2 activity can be determined by Met376 and His380 interactions with Asp725 and Leu727 and controlled by PINK1 kinase–mediated phosphorylation of adjacent MFN2 Ser378. Small-molecule mimics of the peptide-peptide interface of MFN2 disrupted this interaction, allosterically activating MFN
  
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• Five-dimensional imaging of freezing emulsions with solute effects

  19-04-2018 19:37
  The interaction of objects with a moving solidification front is a common feature of many industrial and natural processes such as metal processing, the growth of single crystals, the cryopreservation of cells, or the formation of sea ice. Interaction of solidification fronts with objects leads to different outcomes, from total rejection of the objects to their complete engulfment. We imaged the freezing of emulsions in five dimensions (space, time, and solute concentration) with confocal micros
  
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• Developmental and oncogenic programs in H3K27M gliomas dissected by single-cell RNA-seq

  19-04-2018 19:37
  Gliomas with histone H3 lysine27-to-methionine mutations (H3K27M-glioma) arise primarily in the midline of the central nervous system of young children, suggesting a cooperation between genetics and cellular context in tumorigenesis. Although the genetics of H3K27M-glioma are well characterized, their cellular architecture remains uncharted. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing in 3321 cells from six primary H3K27M-glioma and matched models. We found that H3K27M-glioma primarily contain cells
  
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• Capillarity-induced folds fuel extreme shape changes in thin wicked membranes

  19-04-2018 19:37
  Soft deformable materials are needed for applications such as stretchable electronics, smart textiles, or soft biomedical devices. However, the design of a durable, cost-effective, or biologically compatible version of such a material remains challenging. Living animal cells routinely cope with extreme deformations by unfolding preformed membrane reservoirs available in the form of microvilli or membrane folds. We synthetically mimicked this behavior by creating nanofibrous liquid-infused tissue
  
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• Body size downgrading of mammals over the late Quaternary

  19-04-2018 19:37
  Since the late Pleistocene, large-bodied mammals have been extirpated from much of Earth. Although all habitable continents once harbored giant mammals, the few remaining species are largely confined to Africa. This decline is coincident with the global expansion of hominins over the late Quaternary. Here, we quantify mammalian extinction selectivity, continental body size distributions, and taxonomic diversity over five time periods spanning the past 125,000 years and stretching approximately 2
  
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• Don't hold your breath: Secret behind super deep-diving ability revealed

  19-04-2018 19:09 via cbc.ca
  Overall, the Bajau divers had spleens about 50 per cent larger than nearby seaside villagers who do not dive, researchers find.
  
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• "Sea Nomads" May Have Evolved to Be the World's Elite Divers

  19-04-2018 19:00 via rss.sciam.com
  New genetic evidence suggests these indigenous Southeast Asians are singularly suited for underwater hunting-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Human "Sea Nomads" May Have Evolved to Be the World's Elite Divers

  19-04-2018 19:00 via rss.sciam.com
  New genetic evidence suggests these indigenous Southeast Asians are singularly suited for underwater hunting-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Flatpack fear no more? Robot assembles IKEA chair frame

  19-04-2018 18:37
  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Robots in Singapore have completed a task many humans dread - assembling flat-packed IKEA furniture.
  
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• Poison project

  19-04-2018 18:00 via bbc.co.uk
  Scientist Vladimir Uglev has no doubt the agent that poisoned the Skripals was made in Russia.
  
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• Male fruit flies enjoy ejaculation

  19-04-2018 18:00
  
  Red light exposure made some genetically engineered fruit flies ejaculate, spurring a surge of a brain reward compound — and less desire for booze.
  
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• Wreckage of warship sunk by Japanese torpedoes discovered off Solomon Islands

  19-04-2018 17:07 via cbc.ca
  A Microsoft co-founder's mission to locate sunken warships in the South Pacific has chalked up another victory with the discovery of the USS Helena nearly 75 years after it was sunk by Japanese torpedoes in the waters off the Solomon Islands, reviving stories of the battle-tested ship's endurance and the nearly unbelievable survival of 165 of the crewmen.
  
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• 'We are sorry': Facebook execs grilled by Canadian MPs over Cambridge Analytica scandal

  19-04-2018 16:36 via cbc.ca
  Senior members of the Facebook leadership team faced a rough ride from MPs on Thursday for their failure to inform more than 600,000 Canadians that their privacy might have been compromised.
  
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• 'We are sorry': Facebook execs grilled by Canadian legislators amid Cambridge Analytica scandal

  19-04-2018 16:36 via cbc.ca
  Senior members of the Facebook leadership team faced a rough ride from MPs on Thursday for their failure to inform more than 600,000 Canadians that their privacy might have been compromised.
  
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• Plastic straw and cotton bud ban proposed

  19-04-2018 15:51 via bbc.co.uk
  Plan for a ban in England is announced as Commonwealth leaders are urged to tackle plastic waste.
  
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• A hole in an ancient cow’s skull could have been surgery practice

  19-04-2018 15:00
  
  Before performing skull operations on people, ancient surgeons may have rehearsed on cows.
  
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• Britain will ban sale of plastic straws

  19-04-2018 14:37 via cbc.ca
  Britain plans to ban the sale of plastic straws and other single-use plastic products and is pressing Commonwealth allies to also take action to tackle marine waste.
  
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• Windsor biologists using 3D printed robo-toads to study mating rituals in Costa Rica

  19-04-2018 14:04 via cbc.ca
  Researchers in Windsor are researching why Costa Rican yellow toads turn bright yellow to mate. And they're using 3D printed robo-toads to do it.
  
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• This plastic-gobbling enzyme just got an upgrade

  19-04-2018 13:00
  
  Scientists tweaked a bacterial enzyme and made it more efficient in breaking down plastics found in polyester and plastic bottles.
  
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• Haines Junction ice cave could be gone within 5 years, geologists predict

  19-04-2018 12:00 via cbc.ca
  'It's definitely disappearing. It seems to have sped up in terms of the rate of shrinkage in recent years,' says Jeff Bond of the Yukon Geological Survey.
  
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• SpaceX rocket launched from Florida carrying NASA planet-hunting telescope

  19-04-2018 11:23
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - A Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on Wednesday on SpaceX's first high-priority science mission for NASA, a planet-hunting orbital telescope designed to detect worlds beyond our solar system that might be capable of harboring life.
  
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