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Science News for March 4, 2012


Ice hockey feels the heat in Canada

Researchers found that only a few Canadian weather stations showed an earlier start date for the outdoor skating season, while most stations experienced a decrease in its length over the past half century. Climate change is projected to end outdoor skating in areas like British Columbia and Southern Alberta within decades.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalEnvironmental Research Letters·DateMar 4, 2012

Keep smiling: Collagen matrix promotes gum healing around exposed roots

Researchers used bovine collagen to enhance gum healing around exposed roots, resulting in thicker margins and complete coverage of roots in over half the cases. The study found that the collagen acted as a scaffold for the body's own cells to repair damage, making it a possible solution for patients with limited donor tissue.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalHead & Face Medicine·DateMar 4, 2012
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

Study shows brain flexibility, gives hope for natural-feeling neuroprosthetics

Neuroscientists at UC Berkeley and Portugal's Champalimaud Center have demonstrated that the brain can be trained to perform tasks it normally doesn't, using plasticity to master purely mental tasks. This breakthrough advances work on brain-machine interfaces, potentially leading to prosthetic devices that feel like natural movement.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalNature·DateMar 4, 2012

X-rays reveal how soil bacteria carry out surprising chemistry

Researchers used X-rays to decipher how certain natural antibiotics defy chemical rules, unlocking a mechanism that could enable scientists to synthesize many important chemicals currently found only in nature. The discovery has broad implications, as the six-membered ring is a common structural feature found in hundreds of drug molecu...

SourceDOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory·JournalNature·DateMar 4, 2012

Warming of 2 degrees inevitable over Canada

A Canadian study finds that warming of at least 2 degrees Celsius will be unavoidable in mid-to-high latitude regions, including Canada. The research uses an earth system climate model to predict that even with zero greenhouse gas emissions, the world's temperature would continue to rise by about a quarter of a degree over a decade.

SourceSimon Fraser University·JournalNature·DateMar 4, 2012

Boosting cell production could help treat liver disease

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have discovered a way to increase hepatocyte cells, which detoxify the liver, by encouraging their production instead of bile duct cells. This breakthrough could help develop drugs to encourage liver self-repair and ease pressure on waiting lists for liver transplants.

SourceUniversity of Edinburgh·JournalNature Medicine·DateMar 4, 2012
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

Escaping parasites and pathogens

A new mathematical model reveals that hosts can gain a unique evolutionary advantage when interacting with parasites through multiple traits. This discovery may help explain how humans, plants, and animals evolve to withstand parasite attacks.

SourceNational Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS)·JournalNature·DateMar 4, 2012

Does your mother know?

A UK study of 40,000 households found that staying out late is linked to problem behaviors like smoking and drinking among 10-15 year olds. Regularly staying out late without parental knowledge is associated with family relationships and geographical location.

SourceEconomic & Social Research Council·DateMar 4, 2012

X-rays reveal how soil bacteria carry out surprising chemistry

Researchers have discovered a way for soil bacteria to convert an epoxide into a six-membered cyclic ether, a common structural feature in hundreds of drug molecules. This breakthrough has implications for the development of new polyether drugs and potential biosynthesis strategies.

SourceNational University of Singapore·JournalNature·DateMar 4, 2012

A new direction for game controllers

Researchers at University of Utah designed a new game controller that vibrates and stretches the thumb tips to simulate real-world sensations. The device delivers directional cues by stretching the skin of the thumb tips in different directions.

SourceUniversity of Utah·DateMar 4, 2012
Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

Seeing without eyes: Hydra stinging cells respond to light

Researchers discovered that Hydra's stinging cells are linked to primitive light-responsive cells via a nervous system, enabling the animals to react to light. This finding reveals how Hydra can hunt during the day despite lacking eyes, and hints at a common ancestor with humans.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalBMC Biology·DateMar 4, 2012