Science News

MITRA-MANDAL(SCIENCE) 26-Jan-2017 Taking Materials Into the Third Dimension To create more efficient catalysts, scientists would like to start with porous materials with controlled atomic-scale structures as random defects can hamper performance. A team created a one-pot method that produces the structures. – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory ACS Nano 10(9):8670-8675. DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.6b0399 25-Jan-2017 'Protective' DNA Strands Are Shorter in Adults Who Had More Infections as Infants New research indicates that people who had more infections as babies harbor a key marker of cellular aging as young adults: the protective stretches of DNA which "cap" the ends of their chromosomes are shorter than in adults who were healthier as inf... – University of Washington American Journal of Human Biology, Jan. 2017; TW05596; BCS-0962282 Embargo expired on 25-Jan-2017 at 10:00 ET New Clues on the Base of Parkinson’s Disease and Other “Synucleinopathies” Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other “synucleinopathies” are known to be linked to the misfolding of alpha-synuclein protein in neurons. Less clear is how this misfolding relates to the growing number of genes implicated in PD through analysis of... – Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research Embargo expired on 25-Jan-2017 at 12:00 ET Floating Towards Water Treatment Researchers found engineered floating wetlands show promise, similar to natural floating wetlands, for water treatment. – American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) Journal of Environmental Quality, January 12, 2017 Embargo expired on 25-Jan-2017 at 13:05 ET On Target: UNC Researcher Arms Platelets to Deliver Cancer Immunotherapy After surgery to remove a cancerous tumor – even if the surgery is considered “successful” – it’s nearly impossible to ensure that all microtumors have been removed from the surgical site. Cancer recurrence is always a major concern. Mea... – University of North Carolina Health Care System Physicists Patent Detonation Technique to Mass-Produce Graphene A Kansas State University team of physicists has patented a detonation technique that can mass-produce graphene with three ingredients: hydrocarbon gas, oxygen and a spark plug. – Kansas State University U.S. Patent National Academy of Sciences Honors Prof. Sian Beilock for Psychology Research Sian Beilock, the Stella M. Rowley Professor of Psychology, has been awarded the 2017 Troland Research Award for her pioneering work on anxiety and performance in high-stress situations. The National Academy of Sciences gives the award annually to... – University of Chicago Study Reveals That Climate Change Could Dramatically Alter Fragile Mountain Habitats Mountain regions of the world are under direct threat from human-induced climate change which could radically alter these fragile habitats, warn an international team of researchers - including an expert from The University of Manchester – University of Manchester Nature Imaging Technique Measures Tumor Stiffness to Aid Surgical Planning An important step in planning tumor surgery includes assessing the tumor stiffness to aid in surgical planning. Because tumors within the skull cannot be examined non-invasively, researchers used Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) to assess pituit... – National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Pituitary, June- 2016; EB001981 The Strings That Bind Us: Cytofilaments Connect Cell Nucleus to Extracellular Microenvironment New images by Berkeley Lab scientists are providing the first visual evidence of a long-postulated physical link by which genes can receive mechanical cues from its microenvironment. Created by integrating six different imaging techniques, the images... – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Journal of Cell Science, Jan 2017 Isotopic Similarities Seen in Materials That Formed Earth, Moon Where did the materials that make up the Earth and moon come from—and when did they arrive? – University of Chicago Nature, Jan. 26, 2017 Advanced Materials Power Next-Generation Molecular Separations In a paper published this week in the journal Nature Materials, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology identified the opportunities they see ahead for scalable membrane materials based on rigid, engineered pore structures. They say the ... – Georgia Institute of Technology Nature Materials; DE-FG02-04ER15510 Connecting the Bytes ORNL computer scientist focuses on maximizing utility of Titan. – Oak Ridge National Laboratory A Rising Peptide: Supercomputing Helps Scientists Come Closer to Tailoring Drug Molecules With the help of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility’s Mira supercomputer, scientists have successfully designed and verified stable versions of synthetic peptides, components that join together to form proteins. – Argonne National Laboratory Nature, Oct. 20, 2016 24-Jan-2017 Role of Thrust and Drag Clarified for Swimming Microorganisms For years, B. Ubbo Felderhof, RWTH Aachen University, has explored the mechanisms fish and microorganisms rely on to propel themselves. He has created mechanical models to support the theory behind the “swimming” of microorganisms, consisting of ... – American Institute of Physics (AIP) Embargo expired on 24-Jan-2017 at 11:00 ET Modeling the Rhythmic Electrical Activities of the Brain Researchers studying the brain have long been interested in its neural oscillations, the rhythmic electrical activity that plays an important role in the transmission of information within the brain’s neural circuits. Working with the Wilson-Cowan ... – American Institute of Physics (AIP) Embargo expired on 24-Jan-2017 at 11:00 ET Prized Fossil Find — the Oldest, Most Complete Iguanian in the Americas — Illuminates the Lives of Lizards in the Age of Dinosaurs Paleontologists at the University of Washington, picking through a bounty of fossils from Montana, have discovered something unexpected — a new species of lizard from the late dinosaur era, whose closest relatives roamed in faraway Asia. – University of Washington Proceedings of the Royal Society B Embargo expired on 24-Jan-2017 at 19:05 ET Nutritional Considerations for Healthy Aging, Is Bacon Fit for a Breakfast of Champions, Calorie Restriction Lets Monkeys Live Long and Prosper, and More in the Food Science News Source Click here to go to the Food Science News Source – Newswise Study: Voters Want to Preserve Forests, Water Demand for ecosystem protection is increasing. – University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Can Prostate Cancer Metastasis Be Stopped Before It Starts? Research Team Identifies Role for Particular MicroRNA Metastasis, or spread of a tumor from the site of origin to additional organs, causes the vast majority of cancer-related deaths, but our understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind metastasis remains limited. A research team led by Dean Tang, P... – Roswell Park Cancer Institute Your (Social Media) Votes Matter Tim Weninger, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Notre Dame, conducted two large-scale experiments on Reddit and the results provide insight into how a single up/down vote can influence what content users see... – University of Notre Dame Association for Computer Machinery journal, Transactions on Intelligent Systems and Technology New Organ Culture System Reveals Effects of BPA Exposure on Fetal Mammary Glands A new laboratory model enables tests of how developing fetal mammary tissue is affected by exposure to estrogen and estrogen-like chemicals such as BPA. Previous animal model research has suggested changes in fetal mammary tissue may be linked to hig... – Tufts University ES08314 Study Suggests Color of Sweetener Packet Impacts Sweetness Perception and Liking A study published in the Journal of Food Science found that the packet color of nonnutritive sweeteners may impact the sweetness perception and overall liking of the product. – Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) New Review Article Suggests Sheep Milk May Be the Next Functional Dairy Food A paper published in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety explored the physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of sheep milk and development of sheep milk dairy products containing prebiotics and/or probiotics. – Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) WIU Professor Part of Groundbreaking Trilobite Research Team MACOMB, IL – For the past two years, Western Illinois University Assistant Professor of Geology Thomas Hegna has been part of a three-member team conducting research on what are believed to be the first-ever discovered trilobite eggs paired with a ... – Western Illinois University Little Tortoise, Big Range WCS scientists have discovered the impressed tortoise (Manouria impressa) in the Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Myanmar, some 528 miles from its known range in that country. – Wildlife Conservation Society Predator or Not? Invasive Snails Hide Even When They Don't Know The specific cues that trigger an animal’s natural defense vary depending on the species and its history in the ecosystem, a new University of Washington study finds. – University of Washington American Naturalist, Jan-2017 IU Study Finds Fly Growth Mimics Cancer Cells, Creating New Tool in Fight Against Disease Scientists who study a molecule known to play a role in certain types of cancers and neurodegenerative disorders have a powerful new tool to study this compound due to research conducted at Indiana University. The study was published Jan. 23 in the P... – Indiana University Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; R00GM101341; 1R35GM119557 Watching Gene Editing at Work to Develop Precision Therapies MADISON, Wis. — University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have developed methods to observe gene editing in action, and they’re putting those capabilities to work to improve genetic engineering techniques. – University of Wisconsin-Madison The Contradictory Catalyst Using a natural catalyst from bacteria for inspiration, researchers have now reported the fastest synthetic catalysts to date for hydrogen production-- producing 45 million hydrogen molecules per second. – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Angewandte Chemie Bursts of Methane May Have Warmed Early Mars Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) suggest that early Mars may have been warmed intermittently by a powerful greenhouse effect. – Harvard School of Engineering & Applied Sciences Geophysical Research Letters I Can See Clearly Now University of Utah engineers have created “smart glasses” with liquid-based lenses that can automatically adjust the focus on what a person is seeing, whether it is far away or close up. – University of Utah Optics Express Undergraduates to Explore Precision Livestock Production College freshmen and sophomores interested in agriculture can learn about precision livestock production through a new training program aimed at recruiting minority students to the field. – South Dakota State University Gender Diversity in STEM: ‘Let’s Change the World Together’ Universities across the U.S. have developed programs to attract women and under-represented minorities to the STEM disciplines. So why aren’t such efforts translating into more of these students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math... – Wake Forest University Food Scientist Shares Insights on How to End Food Waste Edward Hirschberg, President of Innovative Foods and recipient of the Institute of Food Technologists’ 2016 Babcock-Hart Award for his many contributions to food processing, shared some potential solutions to many of the world’s food waste proble... – Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Designing Diagnostic Labs That Are Safe, Specific and Sustainable To detect an outbreak early — whether Ebola, Zika or influenza — healthcare workers must have a local, trustworthy diagnostic lab. For the past five years Sandia’s International Biological and Chemical Threat Reduction group has served as a tru... – Sandia National Laboratories 23-Jan-2017 Research Helps Explain How B Cell Metabolism Is Controlled New research from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) addresses the lack of knowledge about how B cell metabolism adapts to each of their various environments-- development in the bone marrow, proliferation and hypermutation in t... – Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute Nature Immunology; NIH R01AI41649 ; NIH 5P30CA030199 Embargo expired on 23-Jan-2017 at 11:00 ET Jet Lag Impairs Performance of Major League Baseball Players A Northwestern University study of how jet lag affects Major League Baseball players traveling across just a few time zones found that when players travel in a way that misaligns their internal 24-hour clock with the natural environment and its cycle... – Northwestern University PNAS, Early Edition, week of Jan. 23, 2017 Embargo expired on 23-Jan-2017 at 15:00 ET Engineers Eat Away at MS. Pac-Man Score with Artificial Player Using a novel approach for computing real-time game strategy, engineers have developed an artificial Ms. Pac-Man player that chomps the existing high score for computerized play. – Cornell University A Gene’s Journey From Covert to Celebrated Unmasking a previously misunderstood gene, Gpr182, University of North Carolina scientists discover an unlikely potential drug target for gastrointestinal cancers. – University of North Carolina Health Care System Journal of Clinical Investigation Melting Solid Below the Freezing Point Phase transitions surround us--for instance, liquid water changes to ice when frozen and to steam when boiled. Now, researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science* have discovered a new phenomenon of so-called metastability in a liquid phase. A ... – Carnegie Institution for Science Nature Communications Astronomers Find Seven Dwarf-Galaxy Groups, the Building Blocks of Massive Galaxies A team of astronomers has discovered seven distinct groups of dwarf galaxies with just the right starting conditions to eventually merge and form larger galaxies, including spiral galaxies like the Milky Way. – National Radio Astronomy Observatory Nature Astronomy, Jan-2017 Choreographing the MicroRNA-Target Dance Molecular biologists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered a new mechanism that choreographs a complex molecular dance by applying the latest in gene editing technology combined with a traditional method of making a microRNA target produce... – UT Southwestern Medical Center Arctic Melt Ponds Form When Meltwater Clogs Ice Pores A team including University of Utah mathematician Kenneth Golden has determined how Arctic melt ponds form, solving a paradoxical mystery of how a pool of water actually sits atop highly porous ice. – University of Utah Journal of Geophysical Research - Oceans 80-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Collagen Confirmed Utilizing the most rigorous testing methods to date, researchers from North Carolina State University have isolated additional collagen peptides from an 80-million-year-old Brachylophosaurus. – North Carolina State University Journal of Proteome Research New Technique Identifies Micropollutants in New York Waterways Cornell University engineers have developed a new technique to test for a wide range of micropollutants in lakes, rivers and other potable water sources that vastly outperforms conventional methods. The new technique – using high-resolution mass sp... – Cornell University PPPL Physicist Uncovers Clues to Mechanism Behind Magnetic Reconnection PPPL physicist Fatima Ebrahimi has published a paper showing that magnetic reconnection — the process in which magnetic field lines snap together and release energy — can be triggered by motion in nearby magnetic fields. – Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory DE-SC0010565, DEAC02-09CHI1466, DE-SC0012467 New Tools Will Drive Greater Understanding of Wheat Genes HHMI scientists develop a much-needed genetic resource that is aiding development of wheat plants with improved traits. – Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences TSRI Scientists Create First Stable Semisynthetic Organism Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have announced the development of the first stable semisynthetic organism. – Scripps Research Institute GM060005; DGE-1346837; 21472036; ANR-11-LABX-0003-01; FR 2607 Nanocavity and Atomically Thin Materials Advance the Technology for Chip-Scale Light Sources University of Washington engineers have discovered an important first step towards building electrically pumped nanolasers, which are critical in the development of integrated photonic based short-distance optical interconnects and sensors. – University of Washington Nano Letters Road Map to Help Northern California Fishing Communities Thrive Humboldt State University researchers have been awarded a $271,000 federal grant to help two Northern California fishing communities improve the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of their waterfronts. – Humboldt State University BREAKING SCIENCE NEWS: Wildlife-Snaring Crisis in Asian Forests A very important article (link) co-authored by WCS scientist Tony Lynam has been published in this week’s Science about a crisis emerging in Asia from snaring, which is wiping out wildlife in unprecedented numbers. – Wildlife Conservation Society The Future Is Now for Robot Cars Driverless car expert Tim Chapin, interim dean of the College of Social Science and Public Policy at Florida State University and professor of urban and regional planning, believes that it may finally be time to start taking this technology seriously... Expert Available – Florida State University SciWire Announcements Danforth Center Expands Major Research Program to Benefit Farmers in the Developing World It is of interest, not only because it is a staple crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, but because grain sorghum yields have been flat or declining due to the lack of sufficient investment in the development of new improved varieties. Sorghum is very resilie... – Donald Danforth Plant Science Center OPP1129063 Embargo expired on 25-Jan-2017 at 08:00 ET Texas Biomed Scientist Receives 5-Year, $4.6 Million Merit Award From NIH for Malaria Research Dr. Timothy Anderson, Scientist in the Department of Genetics at Texas Biomedical Research Institute, received a five-year, $4.6 million MERIT Award from the National Institutes of Health. – Texas Biomedical Research Institute 4R37AI048071-16 Center for the Built Environment at UC Berkeley Celebrates 20 Years of Collaborative Research CBE will celebrate two decades of research that's yielded a broad and valuable body of knowledge, innovation, publications and industry impacts. – UC Berkeley, College of Environmental Design MSU ‘Rethinks Hydropower’ with $2.6M National Science Foundation Grant An interdisciplinary team of Michigan State University scientists will use a $2.6 million National Science Foundation grant to investigate new ways of producing hydropower, increasing food production and lessening the environmental damage caused by d... – Michigan State University NSF - 1639115 Virginia Tech Hyperloop Team Heads to California for Second Phase of Global Competition The Virginia Tech Hyperloop team will head to Hawthorne, CA to go head-to-head against 28 of the best teams from around the world. – Virginia Tech WFU Taps NSF’s Olga Pierrakos as Founding Engineering Chair Wake Forest University has appointed Olga Pierrakos as founding chair of the Department of Engineering, one of Wake Downtown’s new anchoring academic programs, which will begin offering classes this fall. – Wake Forest University Pope Spurs Republicans to Shift Climate Views After Pope Francis framed climate change as a moral issue in his second encyclical, conservative Republicans shifted and began to see environmental dilemmas in the same way, according to a new study led by Cornell University communication researcher... – Cornell University Researchers From New Mexico and Australia Collaborate on GPS Tracking Technology to Ensure Animal Welfare Animal welfare on huge rangelands is a challenge. Researchers in New Mexico and Australia are collaborating to find ways to help ranchers better manage livestock and improve animal welfare. Researchers in Australia are very close to having real-time ... – New Mexico State University (NMSU) Big Wheels in Motion Irvine, Calif., Jan. 23, 2017 – The University of California, Irvine is poised to be the first college campus in the nation to convert its buses to an all-electric fleet. The student-funded and -operated Anteater Express shuttle service is acquirin... – University of California, Irvine Kawtar Hafidi Named Director of Physics Division Argonne associate chief scientist Kawtar Hafidi has been named Argonne National Laboratory's next physics division director. – Argonne National Laboratory SciWire Higher Education Events The Science of Consciousness, June 5-10, 2017 'The Science of Consciousness' ('TSC') is the world's largest and longest-running interdisciplinary conference on all aspects of the nature of conscious awareness, feelings and existence. – Center for Consciousness Studies, University of Arizona, Department of Anesthesiology SciWire Marketplace New Genome Browser Product Gives Freedom to Collaborate in the Cloud The newly launched Genome Browser in the Cloud (GBiC) introduces new freedom to collaborate by allowing rapid Browser installation, in any UNIX-based cloud. It also offers significantly reduced installation time as compared to earlier Genome Browser ... – University of California, Santa Cruz