Science news

• Synthetic opioids involved in more deaths than prescription opioids

  01-05-2018 22:30
  
  Winning a ghastly contest, synthetic opioids become most common drug involved in U.S. overdose deaths, bypassing prescription opioids in 2016.
  
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• Taking the guesswork out of discovering new high-entropy alloys

  01-05-2018 22:18
  Scientists have developed a method of computational analysis that can help predict the composition and properties of as-yet unmade high performance alloys.
  
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• Study challenges 'shock and kill' approach to eliminating HIV

  01-05-2018 22:18
  Researchers have provided new insight into the cellular processes behind the 'shock and kill' approach to curing HIV, which they say challenges the effectiveness of the treatment.
  
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• Single injection treats hemophilia B for life, in proof-of-concept study

  01-05-2018 22:18
  Researchers have demonstrated in mice that hemophilia B can be treated for life with one single injection containing disease-free liver cells that can produce their missing clotting factor.
  
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• Sea turtle nesting beaches threatened by microplastic pollution

  01-05-2018 22:18
  Tiny pieces of plastic could be jeopardizing sensitive sea turtle nesting beaches.
  
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• One detector doesn't 'fit all' for smoke in spacecraft

  01-05-2018 22:18
  Researchers describe how they looked at the smoke particles produced by five materials commonly used aboard crewed spacecraft, defined their characteristics and evaluated how well they could be detected by two traditional smoke detection systems.
  
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• Mercury Rising: New evidence that volcanism triggered the late Devonian extinction

  01-05-2018 22:18
  The late Devonian extinction, about 370 million years ago, is one of the 'Big Five.' It killed up to 80 percent of species, obliterating the lavish Devonian coral reef ecosystem. The final pulse in this multi-step crisis, called the Frasnian-Famennian event, was its most devastating. But what, exactly, did the killing?
  
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• Dehydration prompts more blood feeding by mosquitoes

  01-05-2018 22:18
  Biologists have found that dry conditions prompted house mosquitoes to seek a blood meal. This could explain why researchers have found higher rates of disease transmission during droughts.
  
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• Deer fawns more likely to survive in agricultural landscapes than forest

  01-05-2018 22:18
  The cruel truth is that throughout the white-tailed deer's range only about half of all fawns live to see their first birthday -- most are killed by predators. However, they have a much better chance of surviving if they are born in farmland rather than in forest, according to researchers.
  
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• Scientists discover balance of thermal energy and low climate stress drive coral species diversity

  01-05-2018 22:17
  Marine scientists have identified two key factors that create the ideal conditions needed for high species diversity in coral reefs: thermal energy in the form of warm water and low climate stress.
  
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• Formate prevents most folic acid-resistant neural tube defects in mice

  01-05-2018 22:17
  A multi-institutional research team has developed a novel folic acid-resistant neural tube defect mouse model of the human condition by silencing the Slc25a32 gene, and, in most of the mutant mice, neural tube defects can be prevented by formate supplementation.
  
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• Down side of being dubbed 'class clown'

  01-05-2018 22:17
  Being dubbed the class clown by teachers and peers has negative social repercussions for third-grade boys that may portend developmental and academic consequences for them, researchers found.
  
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• Novel theranostic approach for treating pancreatic cancer patients shows promise

  01-05-2018 22:10
  German researchers have developed a novel diagnostic and therapeutic (theranostic) procedure for patients with ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma, a deadly cancer with an extremely poor prognosis (five-year survival rate of less than 5 percent) and limited treatment options.
  
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• When ER stress is bad for cancer

  01-05-2018 21:45 via stke.sciencemag.org
  A low-protein diet enhances tumor immunosurveillance in multiple cancer types.
  
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• VEGF-neuropilin-2 signaling promotes stem-like traits in breast cancer cells by TAZ-mediated repression of the Rac GAP {beta}2-chimaerin

  01-05-2018 21:45 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling in cancer is not only well known in the context of angiogenesis but also important in the functional regulation of tumor cells. Autocrine VEGF signaling mediated by its co-receptors called neuropilins (NRPs) appears to be essential for sustaining the proliferation and survival of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are implicated in mediating tumor growth, progression, and drug resistance. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms involve
  
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• The interaction between IKK{alpha} and LC3 promotes type I interferon production through the TLR9-containing LAPosome

  01-05-2018 21:45 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) recognizes DNA in endosomes and activates distinct signaling pathways to stimulate the production of proinflammatory cytokines and type I interferons (IFNs). The assembly of signaling platforms on microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B–light chain 3 (LC3)–decorated endosomal vesicles is required to transduce TLR9 signals that stimulate the production of IFN but not interleukin-12 p40 (IL-12p40). LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP), a form of noncanonical auto
  
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• Nuclear PTEN enhances the maturation of a microRNA regulon to limit MyD88-dependent susceptibility to sepsis

  01-05-2018 21:45 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Sepsis-induced organ damage is caused by systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), which results in substantial comorbidities. Therefore, it is of medical importance to identify molecular brakes that can be exploited to dampen inflammation and prevent the development of SIRS. We investigated the role of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in suppressing SIRS, increasing microbial clearance, and preventing lung damage. Septic patients and mice with sepsis exhibited increased PTEN expressi
  
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• Glycerol monolaurate induces filopodia formation by disrupting the association between LAT and SLP-76 microclusters

  01-05-2018 21:45 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Glycerol monolaurate (GML) is a monoglyceride with potent antimicrobial properties that suppresses T cell receptor (TCR)–induced signaling and T cell effector function. Actin rearrangement is needed for the interaction of T cells with antigen-presenting cells and for migration to sites of infection. Because of the critical role actin rearrangement plays in T cell effector function, we analyzed the effect of GML on the rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton after TCR activation. We found t
  
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• Facebook unveils plans for new dating service

  01-05-2018 20:31 via cbc.ca
  Facebook Inc. plans to add a dating service, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday, marking the first time the world's largest social media network has actively tried to help people form romantic relationships.
  
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• Wearable fitness monitors useful in cancer treatment, study finds

  01-05-2018 19:08
  Wearable fitness trackers, such as Fitbits, that measure steps taken per day may be a useful tool to evaluate and help treat cancer patients, researchers have shown.
  
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• Virus inhibits immune response of caterpillars and plants

  01-05-2018 19:08
  It is well known that certain wasps suppress the immune systems of their caterpillar hosts so they can successfully raise their young within those hosts. Now researchers show that, in addition to suppressing caterpillar immune systems, wasps also suppress the defense mechanisms of the plants on which the caterpillars feed, which ensures that the caterpillars will continue to provide a suitable environment for the wasps' offspring.
  
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• Vegan and traditional kimchi have same microbes

  01-05-2018 19:08
  Researchers have found that kimchi made without seafood products has the same 'probiotic' bacteria as more traditional kimchi.
  
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• Study exposes key tactic used by deadly fungus

  01-05-2018 19:08
  Scientists have found that a lethal fungus destroys the immune cell that would ordinarily kill it, by stealing its source of nutrients. Candida albicans is a microscopic fungus commonly found in the body but which can become a dangerous infection in vulnerable hospital patients. The study demonstrated that the fungus competes with disease-fighting macrophages by rapidly consuming glucose and causing the macrophages to die.
  
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• Measuring sweat in wearable biosensing devices

  01-05-2018 19:08
  When people sweat, they unknowingly release a wide range of chemicals that can noninvasively inform clinicians on anything from stress hormone levels to glucose. An international team of researchers recently developed a new membrane that mitigates both issues that arise from direct dermal contact and sweat dilution for sweat biosensors. The membrane performs hundreds of times better than other methods and holds up to repeated use.
  
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• Lymphatic endothelial cells promote melanoma to spread

  01-05-2018 19:08
  The lymph vessel endothelial cells play an active role in the spread of melanoma, according to the new study. The researchers found that growing human melanoma cells in co-cultures with human primary lymphatic endothelial cells revealed crosstalk of cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment leading to the increased invasive growth of melanoma cells and distant organ metastasis in a mouse tumour model.
  
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• Food for thought: Ketogenic diets reduce athletes' anaerobic performance, study finds

  01-05-2018 19:08
  Researchers found that after following a ketogenic diet, study participants did not perform as well at anaerobic exercise tasks.
  
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• Climate change study finds New Hampshire's warmer weather will bring warmer streams

  01-05-2018 19:08
  Air temperature increases from climate change will make New Hampshire's streams warmer. A new study examined the extent to which stream waters are warming, which has implications for freshwater ecosystems across the nation given that many species depend on cold water to survive.
  
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• A search for cleft palate's cause reveals a map of the facial genome

  01-05-2018 19:08
  Once upon a time in Europe, pregnant women avoided rabbits to prevent their babies from being born with a 'harelip.' But, that isn't the only misconception about the condition now known as cleft lip. Researchers report the popular modern belief that the condition is caused by a gene is wrong. Their research could transform how we understand the formation of the face.
  
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• A rose is a rose is a rose: Mathematical model explains how two brains agree on smells

  01-05-2018 19:08
  Scientists have discovered why the brain's olfactory system is so remarkably consistent between individuals, even though the wiring of brain cells in this region differs greatly from person to person. To make sense of this apparent paradox, the researchers developed a computational model showing that two brains need not have previously sniffed the same exact set of odors in order to agree on a new set of scents.
  
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• Use of ibuprofen and similar NSAIDs may shorten life of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

  01-05-2018 19:07
  Ibuprofen, aspirin, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are among the most commonly utilized medications in the United States. Primarily for treating pain, inflammation, and preventing cardiovascular disease, NSAIDs' promising anti-cancer properties have been highlighted by a growing body of data in recent years. However, a new study indicated that non-aspirin NSAID use was associated with shorter overall survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).
  
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• New diagnostic technique picks up the S in vision

  01-05-2018 19:07
  A new technique that could help improve diagnosis of vision disorders has been successfully tested.
  
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• Hormone from fat boosts metabolism in both exercise and cold

  01-05-2018 19:07
  Researchers have uncovered a new kind of clue to an individual's variable response to exercise -- a hormone whose levels in the bloodstream rise sharply in exercise as well as in cold.
  
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• Gliomas: Persistence pays off in discovery that could lead to improved treatment and survivability of patient

  01-05-2018 19:07
  Gliomas are the most common type of central nervous system cancer but how these tumors develop is not fully understood. Sheri Holmen, PhD a researcher at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) and professor of surgery at the University of Utah just published the results of her research on gliomas in Cell Reports. The work is focused on a mutated gene that is a critical piece of the puzzle for glioma development, according to Holmen's work.
  
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• Canada's top science prize won by researcher who spies on shape-shifting proteins

  01-05-2018 18:29 via cbc.ca
  Lewis Kay, a Toronto researcher who developed a technique to watch microscopic proteins reposition themselves and change their shapes within cells, has won the $1 million Herzberg Gold Medal, Canada’s top science prize.
  
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• This is what coral reefs sound like

  01-05-2018 18:05 via bbc.co.uk
  Sounds from the Great Barrier Reef have got quieter over the past five years.
  
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• Goats and beetles team up to tackle noxious weed in southern Alberta

  01-05-2018 16:38 via cbc.ca
  Insects and goats may seem like an odd pairing, but Ducks Unlimited is banking on the duo to tackle the spread of an invasive plant at a wetlands near High River, Alta.
  
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• U.S. wants 1 million to share DNA, health habits for science

  01-05-2018 16:16 via cbc.ca
  Wanted: A million people willing to share their DNA and 10 years of health habits, big and small, for science.
  
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• How a social lifestyle helped drive a river otter species to near extinction

  01-05-2018 16:00
  
  A reconstruction of 20th-century hunting practices reveals why one species of Amazon river otters nearly went extinct while another persisted.
  
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• Can the U.S. Get 1 Million People to Volunteer Their Genomes?

  01-05-2018 15:30 via rss.sciam.com
  A massive biobank effort, first planned under the Obama administration, launches this week-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• 'Valleytronics' discovery could extend limits of Moore's Law

  01-05-2018 14:55
  Researchers have found useful new information-handling potential in samples of tin(II) sulfide (SnS), a candidate 'valleytronics' transistor material that might one day enable chipmakers to pack more computing power onto microchips. 
  
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• Protein mimic developed to help injured lungs breathe

  01-05-2018 14:55
  Researchers have bioengineered an effective protein mimic that restored breathing capacity to the injured lungs of rats, according to a new study.
  
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• Patients get faster life-saving treatment in states with policies allowing direct transport to specialized heart attack care hospitals

  01-05-2018 14:55
  People having heart attacks get faster life-saving treatment if they live in states that allow EMS to bypass closer hospitals that don't offer the specialized treatment, taking patients directly to those that do. Reducing the time from first medical contact to treatment that restores blood flow to the heart is the most critical factor in improving patient survival.
  
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• La Niña-like ocean cooling patterns intensify northwestern Pacific tropical cyclones

  01-05-2018 14:55
  Atmospheric researchers report that a strong connection between sea surface temperature patterns is associated with the Global Warming Hiatus and changes in cyclone activity over the northwest Pacific Ocean, particularly increasing intensities in coastal regions of East Asia.
  
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• Fracking the immune system

  01-05-2018 14:55
  Researchers are the first to report links between early life exposure to chemicals in ground water near fracking sites and immune system imbalances in mice. Their findings suggest that exposure to these chemicals during development may adversely affect the immune system's ability to fight diseases like multiple sclerosis later in life.
  
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• Acute and chronic changes in myelin following mild traumatic brain injury

  01-05-2018 14:55
  Preliminary research using mcDESPOT magnetic resonance imaging shows changes in the myelin content of white matter in the brain following mild traumatic brain injury. Myelin changes are apparent at the time of injury and three months afterward.
  
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• American pikas tolerate climate change better than expected

  01-05-2018 14:53
  The American pika, a relative of rabbits, occupies rocky environments in the mountains of western Northern America. It has been widely thought that pikas could not survive extremes of temperature and thus were at risk of running out of space at the tops of mountains as temperatures rise due to climate change. But is there more to the story?
  
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• Small earthquakes caused by migrating gasses in the underground

  01-05-2018 14:51
  The metropolitan area of Istanbul with around 15 million inhabitants is considered to be particularly earthquake-prone. In order to be able to assess the risk correctly, researchers must decipher the processes underground. Below the Marmara Sea, an international research team detected earthquakes that were not directly caused by tectonic stresses but by rising natural gas.
  
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• Novel cancer vaccine strategy blocks death of tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells

  01-05-2018 14:51
  New research could serve as the stepping-stone in constructing vaccines with a greater likelihood of finding and attacking tumors in the human body.
  
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• New insights into the origins of mutations in cancer

  01-05-2018 14:51
  Using worm experiments, scientists were able to study the processes generating cancer-causing DNA mutations in detail. The findings help identify the causes of human cancer. Such insights could be an important first step in identifying possible directions for new cancer treatments.
  
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• Medical marijuana could reduce opioid use in older adults

  01-05-2018 14:51
  A study shows up to 65 percent of older adults who use medical marijuana significantly reduced their chronic pain and dependence on opioid painkillers.
  
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