Sci-Tech news

• Oculus Rift begins shipping; reviews suggest waiting is OK

  28-03-2016 23:39
  
  The first consumer-ready Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset was delivered to a real person over the weekend, and reviewers got their first taste. The initial feedback: It's a beautiful, wonderful device that immerses you, yet it still has a ways to go.
  
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• Researchers develop new method of trapping multiple particles using fluidics

  28-03-2016 22:51
  
  Precise control of an individual particle or molecule is a difficult task. Controlling multiple particles simultaneously is an even more challenging endeavor. Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new method that relies on fluid flow to manipulate and assemble multiple particles. This new technique can trap a range of submicron- to micron-sized particles, including single DNA molecules, vesicles, drops or cells.
  
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• Stressed out: Scientist details cells' response to lesions

  28-03-2016 22:48
  
  In a recent review paper published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, SLU scientist Alessandro Vindigni, Ph.D., describes the strategies cells use when their DNA faces replication stress, challenges that may derail a cell's ability to reproduce. In this do-or-die situation, cells have several tactics that can help them overcome lesions or other obstacles in order to ensure faithful transmission of their genetic information.
  
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• Partial skull of Columbian mammoth found in Oklahoma

  28-03-2016 22:47
  
  A partial skull and two tusks of a prehistoric Columbian mammoth have been found in northwest Oklahoma.
  
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• FBI probing virus behind outage at MedStar Health facilities

  28-03-2016 22:46
  
  Hackers crippled computer systems Monday at a major hospital chain, MedStar Health Inc., forcing records systems offline for thousands of patients and doctors. The FBI said it was investigating whether the unknown hackers demanded a ransom to restore systems.
  
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• 2016 Arctic sea ice wintertime extent hits another record low

  28-03-2016 22:44
  
  Arctic sea ice appears to have reached a record low wintertime maximum extent for the second year in a row, according to scientists at the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and NASA.
  
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• New NASA launch control software late, millions over budget

  28-03-2016 22:36
  
  Launch control software under development for NASA's deep-space exploration program is more than a year behind schedule and tens of millions of dollars above projected costs, according to an internal audit released Monday.
  
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• USGS: Risk of 2016 quake increases, especially in Oklahoma

  28-03-2016 22:35
  
  The ground east of the Rockies is far more likely to shake this year with damaging though not deadly earthquakes, federal seismologists report in a new risk map for 2016. Much of that is a man-made byproduct of drilling for energy.
  
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• US company to sell smartphone-shaped gun

  28-03-2016 22:32
  
  Americans will soon be able to buy a smartphone-shaped gun that can hold two bullets and easily slip into a pocket.
  
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• Gene blocking lettuce germination also regulates flowering time

  28-03-2016 22:28
  
  Like most annuals, lettuce plants live out their lives in quiet, three-act dramas that follow the seasons. Seed dormancy gives way to germination; the young plant emerges and grows; and finally in the climax of flowering, a new generation of seeds is produced. It's remarkably predictable, but the genetics that coordinates these changes with environmental cues has not been well understood.
  
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• New study finds we still perceive women to be incompatible with STEM

  28-03-2016 22:26
  
  As the science community reels from ongoing revelations of sexual harassment and discrimination, a new study in Psychology of Women Quarterly, by Wellesley College researcher Linda Carli, offers important clues as to how women scientists are perceived and how stereotypes might lead to prejudicial treatment. The paper, entitled "Stereotypes About Gender and Science: Women ? Science," shows that despite significant progress made, women are still thought to lack the qualities needed to be successfu
  
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• New terahertz source could strengthen sensing applications

  28-03-2016 22:09
  
  Current terahertz sources are large, multi-component systems that sometimes require complex vacuum systems, external pump lasers, and even cryogenic cooling. The unwieldy devices are heavy, expensive, and hard to transport, operate, and maintain.
  
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• Chemists devise safer, cheaper, 'greener,' more efficient system for the synthesis of organic compounds

  28-03-2016 22:09
  
  Chemists at The University of Texas at Arlington have devised a safer, more environmentally friendly, less expensive and more efficient water-based system for the synthesis of organic compounds typically used in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, cosmetics, plastics, textiles and household chemicals.
  
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• Chemists identify structure of protein that forms fibrils in Parkinson's patients

  28-03-2016 22:08
  
  Chemists have identified the complex chemical structure of the protein that stacks together to form fibrils in the brains of Parkinson's disease patients. Armed with this knowledge, researchers can identify specific targets for diagnosis and treatment.
  
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• Solved: First crystal structure of a transcription terminator protein

  28-03-2016 21:00
  
  In a study published on 28 March 2016 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Virginia Commonwealth University have resolved the first protein structure in a family of proteins called transcription terminators. The crystal structure of the protein, called Reb1, provides insight into aging and cancer, according to Deepak Bastia, Ph.D., Endowed Chair for Biomedical Research in the MUSC Department of Biochemistry and
  
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• Scientists discover another design principle for building nanostructures

  28-03-2016 21:00
  
  When it comes to the various nanowidgets scientists are developing, nanotubes are especially intriguing. That's because hollow tubes that have diameters of only a few billionths of a meter have the potential to be incredibly useful, from delivering cancer-fighting drugs inside cells to desalinating seawater.
  
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• Researchers use new technology to sequence mosquito sex chromosome

  28-03-2016 21:00
  
  A team of researchers with the Fralin Life Science Institute at Virginia Tech, working with a large international consortium, has sequenced the Y chromosome—the genetic driver of sex-determination and male fertility— in a family of malaria spreading mosquitoes.
  
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• New study shows desert mangroves are major source of carbon storage

  28-03-2016 21:00
  
  Researchers found that short, stunted mangroves living along the coastal desert of Baja California store up to five times more carbon below ground than their lush, tropical counterparts. The new study led by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego estimates that coastal desert mangroves, which only account for one percent of the land area, store nearly 30 percent of the region's belowground carbon.
  
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• New nanoparticle reveals cancer treatment effectiveness in real time

  28-03-2016 21:00
  
  Being able to detect early on whether a cancer therapy is working for a patient can influence the course of treatment and improve outcomes and quality of life. However, conventional detection methods—such as PET scans, CT and MRI—usually cannot detect whether a tumor is shrinking until a patient has received multiple cycles of therapy.
  
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• Global ocean's fish populations could double while providing more food and income

  28-03-2016 21:00
  
  Groundbreaking research being published in the March 29th issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows the majority of the world's fisheries could be recovered in just 10 years, and that global fish populations could double by 2050 with better fishing practices compared to business as usual. The peer-reviewed study is authored by researchers from the University of California Santa Barbara, The University of Washington and Environmental Defense Fund.
  
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• Computer model explains sustained eruptions on icy Enceladus

  28-03-2016 21:00
  
  The Cassini spacecraft has observed geysers erupting on Saturn's moon Enceladus since 2005, but the process that drives and sustains these eruptions has remained a mystery. Now, scientists at the University of Chicago and Princeton University have pinpointed a mechanism by which cyclical tidal stresses exerted by Saturn can drive Enceladus's long-lived eruptions.
  
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• Atmospheric nitrogen leads to loss of plant diversity in sites across US

  28-03-2016 21:00
  
  Rising levels of atmospheric nitrogen pollution threaten plant diversity at nearly one-quarter of sites across a widespread portion of the U.S., according a new study led by University of Colorado Boulder researchers.
  
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• Scientists find 'outlier' enzymes, potential new targets to treat diabetes, inflammation

  28-03-2016 19:02
  
  A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has discovered two enzymes that appear to play a role in metabolism and inflammation—and might someday be targeted with drugs to treat type 2 diabetes and inflammatory disorders.
  
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• Survey gives clearer view of risky leaks from gas mains

  28-03-2016 19:01
  
  Precise measurements of leaks from natural gas pipelines across metropolitan Boston have demonstrated that almost a sixth of the leaks qualified as potentially explosive, and that a handful of leaks emitted half of the total gas lost.
  
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• Cloning of Northern Mexico cactus proves useful in conservation

  28-03-2016 19:01
  
  Endangerment of certain cacti species is caused by multiple factors, most notably illicit extraction. In an effort to curb this endangerment and plan for repopulation of threatened species, scientists have been researching the most efficient methods of cloning. Recently, tests on Turbinicarpus valdezianus (Möller) Glass & Foster (Cactaceae), a species of cactus endemic to Northern Mexico suffering from habitat loss, proved very successful at inducing shoot proliferation and roots throug
  
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• Driving curfews may curb teen crime

  28-03-2016 19:00
  
  A new UT Dallas study found that teen driving curfews might do more than reduce car accidents. They also may prevent teens from committing crimes.
  
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• Citrus scion/rootstock combinations show tolerance to huanglongbing

  28-03-2016 19:00
  
  The citrus disease huanglongbing (HLB) is endemic in Florida, where it is estimated that more than 80% of citrus trees are currently infected. Largely as a result of this devastating disease, Florida citrus production in 2014-15 was the lowest recorded in the past 50 years. Sweet orange and grapefruit, which account for more than 95% of Florida citrus production, appear to be especially compromised by HLB. Understandably, there is an urgent need to identify citrus varieties that can resist the w
  
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• An ancient killer: Ancestral malarial organisms traced to age of dinosaurs

  28-03-2016 18:59
  
  A new analysis of the prehistoric origin of malaria suggests that it evolved in insects at least 100 million years ago, and the first vertebrate hosts of this disease were probably reptiles, which at that time would have included the dinosaurs.
  
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• USC, JPL to launch fungi in journey to develop space meds

  28-03-2016 18:56
  
  Researchers at USC and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory say they will be the first team in the world to launch fungi into space for the purpose of potentially developing new medicine for use both in space and on Earth.
  
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• Biological mechanism passes on long-term epigenetic 'memories'

  28-03-2016 18:56
  
  According to epigenetics—the study of inheritable changes in gene expression not directly coded in our DNA—our life experiences may be passed on to our children and our children's children. Studies on survivors of traumatic events have suggested that exposure to stress may indeed have lasting effects on subsequent generations. But how exactly are these genetic "memories" passed on?
  
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• Oculus Founder Palmer Luckey Hand Delivers First Consumer Headset

  28-03-2016 18:41
  
  After four years -- and a high profile $2 billion acquisition from Facebook -- the first consumer Oculus headsets are being delivered this week to early adopters.
  
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• A world map of Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry in modern humans

  28-03-2016 18:00
  
  Most non-Africans possess at least a little bit Neanderthal DNA. But a new map of archaic ancestry—published March 28 in Current Biology—suggests that many bloodlines around the world, particularly of South Asian descent, may actually be a bit more Denisovan, a mysterious population of hominids that lived around the same time as the Neanderthals. The analysis also proposes that modern humans interbred with Denisovans about 100 generations after their trysts with Neanderthals.
  
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• Observations of an extreme-weather planet raise questions about hot Jupiters' origins

  28-03-2016 17:52
  
  For centuries, the solar system was viewed as a standard blueprint for planetary systems in the universe, with a star (our sun) at the center of a circular track, and a planet orbiting within each lane. Smaller, rockier planets fill the interior lanes, and larger gas giants orbit further out.
  
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• Heirloom dry beans suitable for small-scale organic production

  28-03-2016 17:52
  
  Consumer demand for organic heirloom dry beans is on the rise. According to the authors of a new study, the number of acres of land used for certified organic dry bean production has increased significantly in recent years, and a similar trend is occurring across the United States. In a study published in the January 2016 issue of HortScience, researchers Hannah Swegarden, Craig Sheaffer, and Thomas Michaels offer essential recommendations to small-scale vegetable growers about heirloom dry bean
  
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• Watch: Comet's Close Brush With Earth Seen in Radar Images

  28-03-2016 17:45
  
  NASA has released incredible radar images showing what a comet looked like as it hurtled past Earth last week, making it the third closest brush in recorded history, according to the space agency.
  
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• Watch: Users Report Bug in New iOS Update

  28-03-2016 17:43
  
  IPhone users claim a glitch in the latest update causes some apps to crash and freeze unexpectedly.
  
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• Watch: Oculus Rift VR Headsets Are Finally Here

  28-03-2016 17:43
  
  The founder of the virtual reality company hand delivered the first headset to a customer in Alaska.
  
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• Study of enzymatic chemical reactions may indicate how the first cells formed colonies

  28-03-2016 17:33
  
  A novel investigation of how enzymatic reactions can direct the motion and organization of microcapsules may point toward a new theory of how protocells – the earliest biological cells – could have organized into colonies and thus, could have ultimately formed larger, differentiated structures.
  
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• Restoring the American chestnut

  28-03-2016 17:30
  
  The American chestnut was once a mainstay in hardwood forests as far north as Maine and as far south as Georgia and Mississippi. A massive chestnut blight in the early part of the 20th century ended the mighty chestnut's domination, wiping out billions of mature trees. Scientists are now working to restore the American chestnut's place in U.S. forests. A study published in the February issue of HortScience provides new recommendations that can help increase the stock of blight-resistant trees.
  
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• New Findings Provide a Design for an HIV Vaccine Germline-Targeting Immunogen

  28-03-2016 17:30 via scitechdaily.com
  
  A team of researchers has found HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibody precursor B cells that are present in most people, and has described the design of an HIV vaccine germline-targeting immunogen capable of binding those B cells. Some people infected with HIV naturally produce antibodies that effectively neutralize many strains of the rapidly mutating virus, and […]
  The post New Findings Provide a Design for an HIV Vaccine Germline-Targeting Immunogen appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Impacts of salinity determined for agave

  28-03-2016 17:30
  
  As groundwater levels decline, identifying plants that can thrive in low water conditions is increasingly important. A new study focused on Agave, a species that has the ability to be highly water-use efficient in hot, drought-prone environments. The authors said that Agave, traditionally used as a source of food, beverages, and fiber, has the potential to be cultivated more widely to produce alternative sweeteners, bioenergy, and for other end uses. They said that determining how Agave species
  
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• US wildlife officials to soon decide on manatee status

  28-03-2016 17:22
  
  A proposal to drop Florida's signature sea mammal from the endangered species list may come down to science versus public opinion.
  
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• Dell selling IT unit to NTT Data for more than $3 billion

  28-03-2016 17:19
  
  Dell Inc. is selling its Dell Services information technology unit to NTT Data Inc. for just over $3 billion as part of its ongoing reorganization plan.
  
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• Pandora co-founder Tim Westergren returns as CEO

  28-03-2016 17:18
  
  Pandora, which is facing increasing competition from Apple Music, Spotify and other music streaming services, says it named co-founder Tim Westergren as CEO.
  
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• An online tech shopping service called Enjoy set to expand

  28-03-2016 17:18
  
  Enjoy, an online concierge service for gadgets, is expanding beyond San Francisco and New York City nearly a year after it was launched.
  
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• Ocean temps predict US heat waves 50 days out, study finds

  28-03-2016 17:17
  
  The formation of a distinct pattern of sea surface temperatures in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean can predict an increased chance of summertime heat waves in the eastern half of the United States up to 50 days in advance, according to a new study led by a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).
  
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• Meteorologists may soon give 50-day notice for extreme heat

  28-03-2016 17:17
  
  Meteorologists may soon be able to predict likelihood of extreme heat in the Eastern United States as much as 50 days in advance, according to a new study.
  
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• Study highlights importance of multimodal communication in higher education

  28-03-2016 17:10
  
  Research from North Carolina State University finds that "multimodal" communication - using a mix of words, images and other resources - is important for students and faculty in higher education, a finding that argues for increased instruction in multimodal communication for undergraduates.
  
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• Cassini Reveals Moons of Saturn May Be Only 100 Million Years Old

  28-03-2016 17:05 via scitechdaily.com
  
  A newly published study reveals that Saturn’s moon Rhea and all other moons and rings closer to Saturn may be only 100 million years old. Outer satellites (not pictured above), including Saturn’s largest moon Titan, are probably as old as the planet itself. New research suggests that some of Saturn’s icy moons, as well as […]
  The post Cassini Reveals Moons of Saturn May Be Only 100 Million Years Old appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• A view of the colorful microcosm within a proton

  28-03-2016 17:04
  
  The proton sounds like a simple object, but it's not. Inside, there's a teeming microcosm of quarks and gluons with properties such as spin and "color" charge that contribute to the particle's seemingly simplistic role as a building block of visible matter. By analyzing the particle debris emitted from collisions of polarized protons at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), scientists say they've found a new way to glimpse that internal microcosm. They've measured a key effect of the so-ca
  
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