Science news

• How birds may have escaped the dino-killing asteroid impact

  24-05-2018 23:44
  
  A tree-loving lifestyle became a risk for ancient birds in a world-changing catastrophe.
  
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• Seal released after recovering from plastic air filter injury

  24-05-2018 22:04 via bbc.co.uk
  The seal named Relashio was close to death when he was rescued.
  
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• The Chicxulub asteroid impact might have set off 100,000 years of global warming

  24-05-2018 21:13
  
  About 66 million years ago, the Chicxulub asteroid impact set off 100,000 years of global warming, an analysis of oxygen in fish fossils suggests.
  
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• 'Black widow' star sighting one of the highest-resolution observations in astronomy history

  24-05-2018 21:05 via cbc.ca
  Imagine walking out to your backyard, setting up a telescope, pointing it at Pluto and being able to see a flea on its surface.
  
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• Have a stomach ache? Swallow a sensor

  24-05-2018 20:35 via cbc.ca
  Researchers have found a new way to detect bleeds in the gastrointestinal tract involving a light producing, genetically engineered bacteria, a tiny computer sensor in a pill and an app that can be used on a smartphone.
  
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• Astronaut David Saint-Jacques part of backup crew in advance of his own liftoff

  24-05-2018 20:03 via cbc.ca
  Canada's next man in space doesn't have his official liftoff date until the end of this year, but David Saint-Jacques says he's ready if called into action in the coming weeks.
  
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• Why is there a row about Galileo?

  24-05-2018 20:01 via bbc.co.uk
  Britain may be denied full access to the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system on security grounds after Brexit.
  
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• Giant canyons discovered in Antarctica

  24-05-2018 20:01 via bbc.co.uk
  Vast troughs are identified in one of the last places to be explored on Earth - under the ice at the South Pole.
  
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• RNA buffers the phase separation behavior of prion-like RNA binding proteins

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Prion-like RNA binding proteins (RBPs) such as TDP43 and FUS are largely soluble in the nucleus but form solid pathological aggregates when mislocalized to the cytoplasm. What keeps these proteins soluble in the nucleus and promotes aggregation in the cytoplasm is still unknown. We report here that RNA critically regulates the phase behavior of prion-like RBPs. Low RNA/protein ratios promote phase separation into liquid droplets, whereas high ratios prevent droplet formation in vitro. Reduction
  
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• Response to Comment on "Plant diversity increases with the strength of negative density dependence at the global scale"

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Hülsmann and Hartig suggest that ecological mechanisms other than specialized natural enemies or intraspecific competition contribute to our estimates of conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD). To address their concern, we show that our results are not the result of a methodological artifact and present a null-model analysis that demonstrates that our original findings—(i) stronger CNDD at tropical relative to temperate latitudes and (ii) a latitudinal shift in the relationsh
  
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• mRNA structure determines specificity of a polyQ-driven phase separation

  24-05-2018 19:41
  RNA promotes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) to build membraneless compartments in cells. How distinct molecular compositions are established and maintained in these liquid compartments is unknown. Here, we report that secondary structure allows messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to self-associate and determines whether an mRNA is recruited to or excluded from liquid compartments. The polyQ-protein Whi3 induces conformational changes in RNA structure and generates distinct molecular fluctuations depen
  
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• Long-range exciton transport in conjugated polymer nanofibers prepared by seeded growth

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Easily processed materials with the ability to transport excitons over length scales of more than 100 nanometers are highly desirable for a range of light-harvesting and optoelectronic devices. We describe the preparation of organic semiconducting nanofibers comprising a crystalline poly(di-n-hexylfluorene) core and a solvated, segmented corona consisting of polyethylene glycol in the center and polythiophene at the ends. These nanofibers exhibit exciton transfer from the core to the lower-energ
  
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• Imaging of pure spin-valley diffusion current in WS2-WSe2 heterostructures

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) materials are promising for spintronic and valleytronic applications because valley-polarized excitations can be generated and manipulated with circularly polarized photons and the valley and spin degrees of freedom are locked by strong spin-orbital interactions. In this study we demonstrate efficient generation of a pure and locked spin-valley diffusion current in tungsten disulfide (WS2)–tungsten diselenide (WSe2) heterostructures without any drivin
  
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• High parasite diversity accelerates host adaptation and diversification

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Host-parasite species pairs are known to coevolve, but how multiple parasites coevolve with their host is unclear. By using experimental coevolution of a host bacterium and its viral parasites, we revealed that diverse parasite communities accelerated host evolution and altered coevolutionary dynamics to enhance host resistance and decrease parasite infectivity. Increases in parasite diversity drove shifts in the mode of selection from fluctuating (Red Queen) dynamics to predominately directiona
  
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• Gut microbiome-mediated bile acid metabolism regulates liver cancer via NKT cells

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Primary liver tumors and liver metastasis currently represent the leading cause of cancer-related death. Commensal bacteria are important regulators of antitumor immunity, and although the liver is exposed to gut bacteria, their role in antitumor surveillance of liver tumors is poorly understood. We found that altering commensal gut bacteria in mice induced a liver-selective antitumor effect, with an increase of hepatic CXCR6+ natural killer T (NKT) cells and heightened interferon- production up
  
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• From local collective behavior to global migratory patterns in white storks

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Soaring migrant birds exploit columns of rising air (thermals) to cover large distances with minimal energy. Using social information while locating thermals may benefit such birds, but examining collective movements in wild migrants has been a major challenge for researchers. We investigated the group movements of a flock of 27 naturally migrating juvenile white storks by using high-resolution GPS and accelerometers. Analyzing individual and group movements on multiple scales revealed that a sm
  
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• Flexo-photovoltaic effect

  24-05-2018 19:41
  It is highly desirable to discover photovoltaic mechanisms that enable enhanced efficiency of solar cells. Here we report that the bulk photovoltaic effect, which is free from the thermodynamic Shockley-Queisser limit but usually manifested only in noncentrosymmetric (piezoelectric or ferroelectric) materials, can be realized in any semiconductor, including silicon, by mediation of flexoelectric effect. We used either an atomic force microscope or a micrometer-scale indentation system to introdu
  
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• Evolution of pallium, hippocampus, and cortical cell types revealed by single-cell transcriptomics in reptiles

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Computations in the mammalian cortex are carried out by glutamatergic and -aminobutyric acid–releasing (GABAergic) neurons forming specialized circuits and areas. Here we asked how these neurons and areas evolved in amniotes. We built a gene expression atlas of the pallium of two reptilian species using large-scale single-cell messenger RNA sequencing. The transcriptomic signature of glutamatergic neurons in reptilian cortex suggests that mammalian neocortical layers are made of new cell t
  
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• Comment on "Plant diversity increases with the strength of negative density dependence at the global scale"

  24-05-2018 19:41
  LaManna et al. (Reports, 30 June 2017, p. 1389) claim that subadult trees are proportionally less common at high conspecific adult density (CNDD) and that this effect increases toward the tropics and for rare species. We show that the CNDD-abundance correlation may have arisen from a methodological artifact and that a range of processes can explain the reported latitudinal pattern.
  
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• Cobalt-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of enamides enabled by single-electron reduction

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Identifying catalyst activation modes that exploit one-electron chemistry and overcome associated deactivation pathways will be transformative for developing first-row transition metal catalysts with performance equal or, ideally, superior to precious metals. Here we describe a zinc-activation method compatible with high-throughput reaction discovery that identified scores of cobalt-phosphine combinations for the asymmetric hydrogenation of functionalized alkenes. An optimized catalyst prepared
  
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• Cell type transcriptome atlas for the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea

  24-05-2018 19:41
  The transcriptome of a cell dictates its unique cell type biology. We used single-cell RNA sequencing to determine the transcriptomes for essentially every cell type of a complete animal: the regenerative planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. Planarians contain a diverse array of cell types, possess lineage progenitors for differentiated cells (including pluripotent stem cells), and constitutively express positional information, making them ideal for this undertaking. We generated data for 66,783 ce
  
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• Cell type atlas and lineage tree of a whole complex animal by single-cell transcriptomics

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Flatworms of the species Schmidtea mediterranea are immortal—adult animals contain a large pool of pluripotent stem cells that continuously differentiate into all adult cell types. Therefore, single-cell transcriptome profiling of adult animals should reveal mature and progenitor cells. By combining perturbation experiments, gene expression analysis, a computational method that predicts future cell states from transcriptional changes, and a lineage reconstruction method, we placed all majo
  
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• Building one molecule from a reservoir of two atoms

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Chemical reactions typically proceed via stochastic encounters between reactants. Going beyond this paradigm, we combined exactly two atoms in a single, controlled reaction. The experimental apparatus traps two individual laser-cooled atoms [one sodium (Na) and one cesium (Cs)] in separate optical tweezers and then merges them into one optical dipole trap. Subsequently, photoassociation forms an excited-state NaCs molecule. The discovery of previously unseen resonances near the molecular dissoci
  
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• Beyond fossil fuel-driven nitrogen transformations

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Nitrogen is fundamental to all of life and many industrial processes. The interchange of nitrogen oxidation states in the industrial production of ammonia, nitric acid, and other commodity chemicals is largely powered by fossil fuels. A key goal of contemporary research in the field of nitrogen chemistry is to minimize the use of fossil fuels by developing more efficient heterogeneous, homogeneous, photo-, and electrocatalytic processes or by adapting the enzymatic processes underlying the natur
  
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• An ingestible bacterial-electronic system to monitor gastrointestinal health

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Biomolecular monitoring in the gastrointestinal tract could offer rapid, precise disease detection and management but is impeded by access to the remote and complex environment. Here, we present an ingestible micro-bio-electronic device (IMBED) for in situ biomolecular detection based on environmentally resilient biosensor bacteria and miniaturized luminescence readout electronics that wirelessly communicate with an external device. As a proof of concept, we engineer heme-sensitive probiotic bio
  
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• A 550,000-year record of East Asian monsoon rainfall from 10Be in loess

  24-05-2018 19:41
  Cosmogenic 10Be flux from the atmosphere is a proxy for rainfall. Using this proxy, we derived a 550,000-year-long record of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) rainfall from Chinese loess. This record is forced at orbital precession frequencies, with higher rainfall observed during Northern Hemisphere summer insolation maxima, although this response is damped during cold interstadials. The 10Be monsoon rainfall proxy is also highly correlated with global ice-volume variations, which differs from C
  
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• Brexit: UK wants £1bn back from EU if it is excluded from Galileo

  24-05-2018 19:39 via bbc.co.uk
  The UK steps up its war of words with the EU over being shut out of new satellite navigation system.
  
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• Pregnant bonobos get a little delivery help from their friends

  24-05-2018 19:26
  
  As in humans, female bonobos become helpers for mothers giving birth, data from captive apes suggest.
  
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• How ancestors of living birds survived asteroid strike

  24-05-2018 18:48 via bbc.co.uk
  Survival depended on whether ancient 'birds' lived on the forest floor or in the branches, say scientists.
  
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• Self-driving Uber was aware of pedestrian but didn't stop, probe on fatal Arizona crash finds

  24-05-2018 18:35 via cbc.ca
  The self-driving technology deployed in an Uber which struck and killed a woman crossing the street in Arizona recently, noted a pedestrian was on the road, but didn't stop, a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board says.
  
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• McDonald's not ready to let go of plastic straws

  24-05-2018 18:15 via cbc.ca
  A shareholder proposal to pressure the world's biggest hamburger chain to stop offering plastic straws was voted down at the company's annual meeting Thursday.
  
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• North Korea Missile Test: Best Response May Be Surprisingly Low Tech

  24-05-2018 18:05 via rss.sciam.com
  Security expert offers a scientific perspective on realistic options for the U.S.-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• B.C. and N.B. floods a warning of what's to come, climate change researchers say

  24-05-2018 17:28 via cbc.ca
  Dawn Harp and Lars Androsoff were fully confident flooding didn't threaten their home near southern British Columbia's Kettle River.
  
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• Canadian meteorologists to reveal what to expect in 2018 hurricane season

  24-05-2018 16:31 via cbc.ca
  Environment Canada meteorologists are releasing their predictions for the upcoming 2018 hurricane season today at a news conference in Dartmouth. The six-month Atlantic hurricane season officially starts June 1.
  
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• 2018 hurricane season will be active but 'not as busy' as 2017, says forecast

  24-05-2018 16:31 via cbc.ca
  The six-month Atlantic hurricane season officially starts June 1 and ends Nov. 30. There has already been a storm this season, Arlene, formed in month of April.
  
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• Kilauea volcano producing 'eerie' blue flames

  24-05-2018 15:34 via cbc.ca
  Scientists in Hawaii have captured rare images of blue flames burning from cracks in the pavement as Kilauea volcano gushes fountains of lava in the background, offering a look at a new dimension in the volcano's weeks-long eruption.
  
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• Hawaii's Kilauea volcano producing 'eerie' blue flames as methane gas ignites

  24-05-2018 15:34 via cbc.ca
  Scientists in Hawaii have captured rare images of blue flames burning from cracks in the pavement as Kilauea volcano gushes fountains of lava in the background, offering a look at a new dimension in the volcano's weeks-long eruption.
  
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• Do your kids play Fortnite? Here's how it could win them a college scholarship

  24-05-2018 14:00 via cbc.ca
  As esports grow exponentially in popularity, young players are starting to take advantage of the financial opportunities that lie in becoming a professional gamer. And some universities are starting to offer scholarships to attract them.
  
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• Daydreaming May Help You Become More Socially Adept

  24-05-2018 14:00 via rss.sciam.com
  New research explains why relationships take up so much of our mental energy-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• First Woman Air and Space Museum Director Talks about Inspiring the Next Generation

  24-05-2018 13:30 via rss.sciam.com
  Ellen Stofan, head of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, told us about the power of museums to attract young scientists and combat attacks on science-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Farne Island puffin population drop sparks concern

  24-05-2018 13:29 via bbc.co.uk
  Initial findings in the National Trust's five-yearly survey suggest an overall decline of 12%.
  
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• Plasma rain in the sun’s atmosphere falls in surprising places

  24-05-2018 13:00
  
  Scientists found rain in the sun’s corona where they didn’t expect it, which could help solve the mystery of why the corona is so hot.
  
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• A Conversation with Thomas Hertog, One of Stephen Hawking's Final Collaborators

  24-05-2018 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  The theoretical physicist talks with Scientific American about the far-reaching implications of his final collaboration with his late friend and mentor-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• What if scientists are wrong about theory of Alzheimer's disease?

  24-05-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  After a series of high-profile drug failures, researchers are being forced to question their primary hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease.
  
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• Europe's tough new data privacy laws will benefit Canadians, too

  24-05-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  On Friday the European Union will bring into effect some of the world's strictest online privacy rules — new regulations that some experts say will afford Canadian internet users more protections, as well.
  
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• Car dealer tactics stall electric car sales

  24-05-2018 09:58 via bbc.co.uk
  "Dismissive" dealers are a major barrier to boosting sales of electric cars says a new study.
  
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• 'Alarmingly high' amounts of plastic microbeads found in B.C. shellfish farming areas

  24-05-2018 06:16 via cbc.ca
  “We found microbeads in the smallest bits of sediment and in a concentration equal to the amounts of silt and organic matter,” one researcher said.
  
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• Will treating sleep apnea with CPAP improve sexual quality of life?

  24-05-2018 06:00
  (JAMA Network) Long-term use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for obstructive sleep apnea was associated an improvement in sexual quality of life for women, but not men.
  
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• Why we won't get to Mars without teamwork

  24-05-2018 06:00
  (American Psychological Association) If humanity hopes to make it to Mars anytime soon, we need to understand not just technology, but the psychological dynamic of a small group of astronauts trapped in a confined space for months with no escape, according to a paper published in American Psychologist, the flagship journal of the American Psychological Association.
  
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• UTIA plant geneticist named Fulbright scholar

  24-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture) Hadziabdic Guerry is an assistant professor of fungal and population genetics and biodiversity on the faculty of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. She has recently received a Fulbright Award to the African Regional Research Program to study the frafra potato as an alternative food source for west Africa.
  
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