Science news

• Arctic ice melt, increased shipping endangers whales: study

  04-05-2018 22:29 via cbc.ca
  Melting ice caused by climate change has given ships more access to Arctic waters, which researchers say could have serious consequences for the survival of bowhead and beluga whales.
  
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• Simulation technique models material-aging process

  04-05-2018 22:11
  Imagine if engineers could build structures with materials that do not degrade over time. Researchers have proposed a new simulation technique that could help engineers do just that.
  
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• Can this invasive exotic pest make better materials for industry and medicine?

  04-05-2018 22:11
  Tunicates are slimy invasive exotic pests that some people like to eat. Now they may be used to make UV-reflective, flexible construction materials.
  
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• A molecular dance of phospholipid synthesis

  04-05-2018 22:11
  The most abundant molecule in cell membranes is the lipid phosphatidylcholine (PC, commonly known as lecithin); accordingly, the enzymes responsible for synthesizing it are essential. Research used computer simulations to gain insights into how one of these enzymes activates and shuts off PC production.
  
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• Ediacara Biota flourished in bacterially rich marine habitats

  04-05-2018 19:36
  Researchers have used biomarkers in ancient rocks to learn more about the environmental conditions and food sources that sustained the Ediacara Biota.
  
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• A gut bacterium's guide to building a microbiome

  04-05-2018 19:36
  Many studies have linked the gut microbiome to health and disease. New research reveals mechanisms utilized by gut bacteria to assemble a microbiome in the first place.
  
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• Sidewalk Labs says its 'smart' neighbourhood will respect your privacy — but proof is in the details

  04-05-2018 18:56 via cbc.ca
  At a roundtable meeting in Toronto on Thursday, Sidewalk Labs offered little in the way of specifics about how the sensor-filled smart neighbourhood it's proposing for the city might work.
  
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• Sidewalk Labs says it wants to hear privacy concerns about its 'smart' neighbourhood, but will it act on them?

  04-05-2018 18:56 via cbc.ca
  At a roundtable meeting in Toronto on Thursday, Sidewalk Labs offered little in the way of specifics about how the sensor-filled smart neighbourhood it's proposing for the city might work.
  
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• Link between crystal methamphetamine and immune changes in HIV

  04-05-2018 18:23
  A researcher has found that the use of stimulants, such as methamphetamine, can negatively affect the health of HIV-positive persons even when they are adhering to medical treatment. This study indicates that stimulants affect pathways in the immune system that allow HIV to become more active and could expand the reservoir.
  
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• Insight into potential new strategy to target skin diseases like psoriasis

  04-05-2018 18:23
  Research has shown that targeting metabolism in growing cells holds promise for the treatment of skin diseases like psoriasis that are characterized by skin overgrowth resulting from excess cell division, known as hyperproliferation.
  
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• Computing: Design for magnetoelectric device may improve memory

  04-05-2018 18:23
  Conventional memory devices use transistors and rely on electric fields to store and read out information. An alternative approach uses magnetic fields, and a promising version relies on the magnetoelectric effect which allows an electric field to switch the magnetic properties of the devices. Existing devices, however, tend to require large magnetic and electric fields. One potential solution is a new switching element made from chromia.
  
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• 50 years ago, starving tumors of oxygen proposed as weapon in cancer fight

  04-05-2018 17:00
  
  Starving cancerous tumors of oxygen was proposed to help kill them. But the approach can make some cancer cells more aggressive.
  
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• Tesla's Musk defends comments made during conference call

  04-05-2018 16:50 via cbc.ca
  Tesla CEO Elon Musk is going on the defensive in a series of tweets, saying the people he shut down during a contentious conference call were "sell-side analysts who represent a short seller thesis, not investors."
  
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• To treat pain, you need to treat the patient

  04-05-2018 16:38
  People in chronic pain are some of the most difficult patients to treat. Clinicians found that an in-depth questionnaire can help immensely.
  
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• Less is more when it comes to developing bigger brains

  04-05-2018 16:38
  The superior size and complexity of the human brain compared to other mammals may actually originate from fewer initial starting materials, new research has suggested.
  
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• Identity of brain stem cells clarified

  04-05-2018 16:38
  The human nervous system is a complex structure that sends electrical signals from the brain to the rest of the body, enabling us to move and think. Unfortunately, when brain cells are damaged by trauma or disease they don't automatically regenerate. This can lead to permanent disability.
  
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• Genomics is disrupting the healthcare sector

  04-05-2018 16:38
  Affordable, rapid DNA sequencing is causing a revolution in medicine and healthcare globally -- and it's happening now, says researchers.
  
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• Stable packing behavior in disperse disks

  04-05-2018 16:37
  Physicists have proven that random packings of disks of the same size between parallel walls always form a periodic structure, regardless of the width of the container. The results should help scientists to better understand the packing properties of microparticles.
  
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• Racing can be fatal to horses

  04-05-2018 16:37
  Researchers examined 1,713 cases of racehorse deaths from 2003 to 2015, and found racing was connected to some of the deaths.
  
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• New approach for treating neuropathic pain

  04-05-2018 16:37
  Neuropathic pain is the chronic, pathological pain that continues even when the cause of pain is removed. Causes include damage to nerve cells and medicines used to treat cancer. Scientists have discovered a novel therapeutic that appears to interrupt the signaling cascades in the body required for multiple forms of neuropathic pain.
  
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• Gut check: Metabolites shed by intestinal microbiota keep inflammation at bay

  04-05-2018 16:37
  Researchers have elucidated a mechanism by which 'good' bacteria that reside in our gastrointestinal tract can help protect us from inflammation, and how their disruption (dysbiosis) can increase the susceptibility of the liver to more harmful forms of disease. Their study identified two key metabolites produced by the bacteria in mice that modulate inflammation in the host and could ultimately reduce the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
  
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• Agroecology: A better alternative in Sub-Saharan Africa

  04-05-2018 16:37
  Agroecology is a better alternative than large-scale agriculture, both for the climate and for small farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to researcher. This agricultural model preserves biodiversity and safeguards food supply while avoiding soil depletion.
  
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• An enzyme involved in cancer and aging gets a close-up

  04-05-2018 16:00
  
  The structure of telomerase, described with the greatest detail yet, may give researchers clues to cancer treatments and other telomerase-related illnesses.
  
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• Osteoporosis drug could be used to treat aggressive form of breast cancer, researchers say

  04-05-2018 15:23
  Researchers have discovered that an enzyme called UGT8 drives the progression of basal-like breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease that is largely untreatable. But the study reveals that the widely used osteoporosis drug zoledronic acid inhibits UGT8 and prevents the spread of basal-like breast cancer in mice, suggesting that this drug could also be used to treat the disease in humans.
  
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• The Mercury 13: The women who trained for space flight until NASA shut them down

  04-05-2018 15:00 via cbc.ca
  The Mercury 13 were female pilots who successfully completed the same testing as the men who became the first U.S. astronauts. A new documentary tells their story.
  
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• 'Marsquake' monitor due to fly to Mars in Nasa mission

  04-05-2018 14:42 via bbc.co.uk
  Scientists at Imperial College London have spent more than 25 years developing the device.
  
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• Targeted 'click-to-release' chemotherapy gives good results in mice

  04-05-2018 14:24
  Scientists have developed a new technique for the targeted delivery of chemotherapy for tumors in cases where this was previously very difficult. By way of the controlled 'click-to-release' of the chemotherapy drug from its tumor-binding carrier, the chemotherapy can be activated at the right location.
  
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• Minorities widely underrepresented in autism diagnoses

  04-05-2018 14:24
  Researchers have found in an analysis that minorities were widely underrepreseted in autism identifications in 2014. The levels vary by state, but run counter to the claim that minorities are overrepresented in all areas of special education and show that many students of color are not getting services that could be beneficial.
  
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• How low is too low? Experts debate blood pressure targets in post-SPRINT era

  04-05-2018 14:24
  Following the landmark SPRINT trial, there is a growing body of evidence for reducing systolic blood pressure targets, resulting in the development of new US guidelines. However, this has led to many questions about the impact of such fundamental changes in blood pressure management, and whether they should be implemented in other constituencies. Two new studies assess the benefits and costs of incorporating these more aggressive goals into clinical practice.
  
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• Greenhouse gas 'feedback loop' discovered in freshwater lakes

  04-05-2018 14:24
  Latest research finds plant debris in lake sediment affects methane emissions. The flourishing reed beds created by changing climates could threaten to double the already significant methane production of the world's northern lakes.
  
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• Cost on families from Liberals' carbon tax plan will be known in September: Morneau

  04-05-2018 13:25 via cbc.ca
  The Opposition Conservatives are pressuring the Trudeau government to divulge how much the federal carbon tax will cost Canadian households — but Finance Minister Bill Morneau says they'll have to wait until September to find out.
  
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• ‘Time crystals’ created in two new types of materials

  04-05-2018 13:00
  
  A state of matter that repeats itself in time, not space, was found in certain liquids and a solid.
  
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• How 2 OCAD students are using high tech to 'empower and engage' people with autism

  04-05-2018 13:00 via cbc.ca
  Two graduating students from OCAD have unveiled new products helping people with autism interact with the world around them.
  
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• At What Age Does Our Ability to Learn a New Language Like a Native Speaker Disappear?

  04-05-2018 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  Despite the conventional wisdom, a new study shows picking up the subtleties of grammar in a second language does not fade until well into the teens-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Spacecraft for detecting 'Marsquakes' set for rare California launch

  04-05-2018 12:02
  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After decades exploring the surface of Mars, NASA is set for the weekend launch of its first robotic lander dedicated to studying the red planet's deep interior, with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth.
  
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• New climate 'feedback loop' discovered in freshwater lakes

  04-05-2018 11:27 via bbc.co.uk
  Methane emissions from lakes could almost double as warming boosts plants that feed gas production.
  
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• Hawaii evacuations ordered as Mount Kilauea erupts

  04-05-2018 10:43 via cbc.ca
  Nearly 1,500 residents were ordered to evacuate from their volcano-side homes after Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano erupted, sending molten lava to chew its way through forest land and bubble up on paved streets.
  
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• Why Facebook is getting in on the dating game

  04-05-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  The timing of Facebook's dating announcement may seem odd given the intense scrutiny it faces about protecting users' privacy, experts say the move makes strategic business sense.
  
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• Next stop Mars: Mission to take planet's temperature and measure 'Marsquakes' launching Saturday

  04-05-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  A robotic lander is about to leave for Mars on a mission to find out what's beneath the planet's dusty surface. It will be the first to probe the planet's interior — and Canadian researchers are playing a key role.
  
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• UHealth ENT department receives NIH research training grant

  04-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Miami Miller School of Medicine) The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine's Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery is one of eight otolaryngology training programs in the US to receive the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) for interdisciplinary research training in otolaryngology.
  
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• UCI simulation technique models material-aging process

  04-05-2018 06:00
  (University of California - Irvine) Imagine if engineers could build structures with materials that do not degrade over time. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have proposed a new simulation technique that could help engineers do just that.
  
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• This is not a game: NIST virtual reality aims to win for public safety

  04-05-2018 06:00
  (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)) Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) now aim to make virtual reality simulations more of a reality for first responders, enabling firefighters, law enforcement officers and others to learn and practice how to best operate and communicate in emergencies.
  
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• Study shows minorities widely underrepresented in autism diagnoses

  04-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Kansas) Jason Travers of the University of Kansas found in an analysis that minorities were widely underrepreseted in autism identifications in 2014. The levels vary by state, but run counter to the claim that minorities are overrepresented in all areas of special education and show that many students of color are not getting services that could be beneficial.
  
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• Sensor stickers transform the human body into a multi-touch surface

  04-05-2018 06:00
  (Saarland University) They are similar to ultra-thin patches, their shape can be freely chosen, and they work anywhere on the body. With such sensors on the skin, mobile devices like smartphones and smartwatches can be operated more intuitively and discreetly than ever before. Computer scientists at Saarland University have now developed sensors that even laypeople can produce with a little effort.
  
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• Racing can be fatal to horses, new U of G study reveals

  04-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Guelph) University of Guelph researchers examined 1,713 cases of racehorse deaths from 2003 to 2015, and found racing was connected to some of the deaths.
  
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• Non-white scholars are underrepresented in scholarly articles in communications

  04-05-2018 06:00
  (New York University) Non-white scholars continue to be underrepresented in publication rates, citation rates, and editorial positions in communications and media studies, finds a new study by NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and published in the Journal of Communication. This has negative professional implications both for non-white scholars, in terms of contract renewals, tenure and promotion, and for the field in general, in terms of the visibility of and att
  
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• New AI to develop self-learning robots for nuclear sites

  04-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Lincoln) 'Machine learning' robots which can handle nuclear waste, carry out cell decommissioning, and monitor conditions at radioactive sites could be deployed to hazardous nuclear sites in place of humans thanks to a new £1.1 million project. The artificial intelligence systems will be able to collect data and use it to make decisions and improvements based on experience without being explicitly programmed -- and the systems will limit the risk to humans working with nucle
  
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• NASA's IMERG shows devastating rainfall over East Africa

  04-05-2018 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Heavy seasonal rainfall has recently caused flooding in Kenya and NASA analyzed and estimated the total rainfall using data from a suite of satellites and gauges.
  
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• Nanoscale measurements 100x more precise, thanks to improved two-photon technique

  04-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Warwick) The precision of measuring nanoscopic structures could be substantially improved, thanks to research involving the University of Warwick and QuantIC researchers at the University of Glasgow and Heriot Watt University into optical sensing.
  
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• MSU-based specialists in mechanics investigated the behavior of vacuum oil in space

  04-05-2018 06:00
  (Lomonosov Moscow State University) A research team from the Research Institute of Mechanics, MSU together with a colleague from the Center of New Space Technologies, MAI described the behavior of a liquid sheet propagating in open space. The results of the study were published in the Physics of Fluids journal.
  
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