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Science News for May 7, 2015


Scandinavian trade 'triggered' the Viking Age

Researchers identify Vikings visiting Ribe, Denmark's west coast, as early as 725 AD, suggesting a less violent start to the Viking Age. This discovery challenges traditional narratives of the Viking Age as a period of violent expansion and highlights the importance of trade and maritime mobility.

SourceUniversity of York·JournalEuropean Journal of Archaeology·DateMay 7, 2015

How climate science denial affects the scientific community

A new study from the University of Bristol argues that climate science denial is seeping into the scientific community's discussion of climate change, causing them to overemphasize scientific uncertainty. This 'seepage' of contrarian claims has led scientists to downplay the degree of threat and undercommunicate knowledge, despite know...

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalGlobal Environmental Change·DateMay 7, 2015

Biting back: Scientists aim to forecast West Nile outbreaks

A new study by NCAR and CDC researchers finds strong correlations between warmer temperatures and higher rates of West Nile virus disease in the US. Precipitation also influences disease outbreaks, but with varying regional impacts. The study aims to develop a system to forecast outbreaks weeks or months in advance.

SourceNational Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research·JournalAmerican Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·DateMay 7, 2015

Popular media influences choice of childbirth

A Monash University study found that women's expectations and attitudes about birth are shaped by popular media, particularly magazines, leading to biased decision-making. Women exposed to magazine articles endorsing non-medicalised birth were more likely to change their intention towards a natural birth.

SourceMonash University·JournalWomen & Health·DateMay 7, 2015

The hairy past

A team of scientists from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna developed a method to analyze horse tail hair to determine its ecological significance. By aligning hair segments to time using satellite information, they found that tail hair growth rates vary greatly between species and even within individuals.

SourceUniversity of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna·JournalRapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry·DateMay 7, 2015

Baiting the hook

Researchers found that customers tend to gravitate towards a chain's digital channel for their first online purchases but may drift to other chains once familiar with online shopping. For customer retention and attracting new ones, retailers must offer an equal or better online product assortment than their offline stores.

SourceJournal of Retailing at New York University·JournalJournal of Retailing·DateMay 7, 2015

Chagas disease vaccine shows long-term protection in mice

A candidate vaccine has been shown to induce long-lasting immunity against the parasite that causes Chagas disease. Mice vaccinated with a combination of two parasite proteins showed reduced parasite numbers and improved immune response compared to uninfected mice.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Pathogens·DateMay 7, 2015

Soil security

The world's soil resources are under threat from erosion, nutrient exhaustion, urbanization, and climate change, which could lead to disruptions in food production and geopolitical conflicts. Experts call for better management of Earth's soils to address this issue.

SourceUniversity of Delaware·JournalScience·DateMay 7, 2015

The Lancet: Can the Ebola outbreak rejuvenate global health security?

The west African Ebola epidemic has sparked interest in global health security, but its impact on political commitment to public health is uncertain. The crisis has highlighted the importance of securing individuals' access to healthcare as part of global health security. Key challenges include counterfeit medicines, antimicrobial resi...

SourceThe Lancet·JournalThe Lancet·DateMay 7, 2015

BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology names Industrial Biotechnology its official journal

The BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology has selected Industrial Biotechnology as its official journal, providing readers with more in-depth coverage of the industry's science, technology, markets, and policy efforts. The partnership aims to tell compelling stories of industrial biotech development and innovation.

SourceMary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News·JournalIndustrial Biotechnology·DateMay 7, 2015

Plugging up leaky graphene

Researchers have developed a process to repair leaks in graphene membranes, filling cracks and plugging holes using chemical deposition and polymerization techniques. The team created tiny, uniform pores in the material, allowing only water to pass through, resulting in high flow rates and efficient filtration.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalNano Letters·DateMay 7, 2015

Light in sight: a step towards a potential therapy for acquired blindness

Researchers have developed a novel optogenetic protein, Opto-mGluR6, which can be tailored to bring this promising technology closer to medical application. This breakthrough could potentially restore sight in patients suffering from any kind of photoreceptor degeneration, including severe forms of age-related macular degeneration.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateMay 7, 2015

Locating the brain's SAD center

Researchers have localized the seasonal light cycle effects that drive SAD to a small region in the mid-brain called the dorsal raphe nucleus. The study found that serotonergic neurons fire faster in mice exposed to summer-like light cycles, leading to increased levels of serotonin and norepinephrine.

SourceVanderbilt University·JournalCurrent Biology·DateMay 7, 2015

Surprise from the deep ocean

A new study has uncovered Lokiarchaeota, a missing link in the evolution of eukaryotes, revealing unexpected complexity in its genome. The discovery provides insights into the emergence of organelles and cellular structure in early eukaryotic cells.

SourceUniversity of Vienna·JournalNature·DateMay 7, 2015

Putting a new spin on plasmonics

Researchers at Aalto University have discovered a new method to enhance the polarization of light in ferromagnetic materials. By patterning magnetic materials into arrays of nanoscale dots, they can create highly controllable modifications of light polarization when it reflects from the array. This breakthrough has the potential to adv...

SourceAalto University·JournalNature Communications·DateMay 7, 2015