Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Science News for March 6, 2018


Comet Chury formed by a catastrophic collision

A team of researchers proposes a new scenario for the formation of Comet Chury, suggesting it formed through a gentle encounter between two comets, preserving its primordial composition. This process allows for the survival of small bodies like Chury, which would otherwise be destroyed by collisions in the regions where they orbit.

SourceCNRS·JournalNature Astronomy·DateMar 6, 2018

Many small differences contribute to a large variation

Researchers found that multiple small differences, rather than a single factor, explain the large variation in how people respond to drugs. The study used systems biology and metabolomics techniques to analyze protein and metabolite concentrations in cell culture experiments.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalCell Systems·DateMar 6, 2018

UGA researchers develop new method to improve crops

Researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a new technique called epimutagenesis that allows them to selectively activate silenced genes in plants, resulting in increased resistance to drought and disease. This method has the potential to create crop varieties with improved yield and adaptability.

SourceUniversity of Georgia·JournalNature Communications·DateMar 6, 2018

Salk scientists find power switch for muscles

Researchers at the Salk Institute have identified ERRγ as a key player in delivering benefits associated with endurance exercise. By increasing ERRγ, they found that skeletal muscle energy production and endurance were restored, making it a potential therapeutic target for conditions such as muscular dystrophy.

SourceSalk Institute·JournalCell Reports·DateMar 6, 2018

Escape artist

Researchers from the University of Toronto discovered that Captorhinus, a small reptile from the Early Permian period, could detach its tail to escape predators. The reptiles had naturally occurring cracks in their vertebrae that allowed them to break away and escape relatively unharmed.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalScientific Reports·DateMar 6, 2018

Engineering a new spin for disease diagnostics

A new liquid biopsy platform uses centrifugal microfluidics to isolate and enrich circulating disease biomarkers from patient blood, promising a less invasive diagnostic procedure. The technique, called μCENSE, separates vesicles containing biomarkers using centrifugal force, reducing extraction time from hours to minutes.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalBiomicrofluidics·DateMar 6, 2018

Towards an unconscious neural reinforcement intervention for common fears

Researchers have created an innovative method to alleviate common fears by reading out unconscious brain activity and associating feared objects with positive feelings. By using a mental exercise game and leveraging artificial intelligence algorithms, participants can become desensitized to phobic stimuli without encountering the feare...

SourceATR Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 6, 2018

What the smell can tell

Researchers have developed a detection system for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by modern museum artifacts, allowing for non-invasive monitoring of their preservation status. The system uses gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry to identify characteristic VOC patterns, enabling the classification of degradation states.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateMar 6, 2018

Dynamic processing in 5G networks

IMDEA Networks Institute and TELCARIA launch project to achieve high performance and dynamic traffic processing in 5G networks. The research aims to separate processing from factors like location, time, scaling, and hardware, enabling scalable and flexible network design.

Supportive colleagues could be the key to health and fairness at work

A new study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found a clear link between a person's health and their perceptions of fairness at work over time. Colleague support was identified as the most significant factor in this link, suggesting that organisations should foster a supportive culture among colleagues to ensur...

SourceUniversity of East Anglia·JournalJournal of Occupational Health Psychology·DateMar 6, 2018

Fish team up for more food

Researchers observed cooperative behavior in Neolamprologus obscurus fish, excavating stones to create shelter and increase food abundance. The study found that helpers played a crucial role in maintaining and expanding these shelters, leading to increased prey abundance and improved breeding success.

SourceSpringer·JournalBehavioral Ecology and Sociobiology·DateMar 6, 2018

Physicists lay groundwork to better understand the birth of the universe

Physicists Sebastian Deffner and Anthony Bartolotta developed techniques for describing the thermodynamics of very small systems with high energy, which could lead to a better understanding of the birth of the universe. They found that in their model system, the system was more likely to return multiple particles upon sending in just one.

SourceUniversity of Maryland Baltimore County·JournalPhysical Review X·DateMar 6, 2018

CRISPR enhances cancer immunotherapy

Researchers at WashU Medicine used CRISPR to engineer human T cells that can attack human T cell cancers without succumbing to friendly fire. The new approach also allows for the use of therapeutic T cells from any healthy donor, eliminating the need for a matched donor or patient's own T cells.

SourceWashU Medicine·JournalLeukemia·DateMar 6, 2018

The final frontier's final frontier

A team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh's NSF Center for Space, High-performance, and Resilient Computing has developed a radiation-resistant computer capable of high-performance computing in space. The system will be launched on the International Space Station and is nearly three times more powerful than its predecessor.

BU study: Insurance status affects in-hospital complication rates after total knee arthroplasty

A recent study by Boston University School of Medicine found that cardiac events and urinary tract infections were more common in Medicare patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. The study also showed increased risks of central nervous system complications, gastrointestinal issues, and mortality among Medicare patients compared to...

SourceBoston University School of Medicine·JournalOrthopedics·DateMar 6, 2018

Conservationists find birds in central African rain forest are facing major threats from bushmeat hunting

A new study finds that large forest birds such as raptors and hornbills are being killed for bushmeat, leading to a decline in their populations. The research also reveals a surprising link between education levels and hunting habits, suggesting that higher education levels may be contributing to the problem.

SourceSan Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance·JournalBiological Conservation·DateMar 6, 2018

Cannabis compound may help curb frequency of epileptic seizures

A review of available evidence suggests that cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) may curb the frequency of epileptic seizures, particularly in children and teens with rare and severe forms of epilepsy. CBD was found to be more effective than a placebo at reducing seizure frequency by 50% or more, and improving quality of life.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalJournal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry·DateMar 6, 2018

The body's 'glucostat' identified

The study found that pancreatic islets, particularly human cells releasing glucagon, play a crucial role in regulating insulin-producing cells and blood glucose levels. This discovery has important implications for diabetes treatment and transplantation using stem cell technology.

SourceKarolinska Institutet·JournalCell Metabolism·DateMar 6, 2018

A new tactic for eczema?

Researchers discovered that retinoid-related orphan receptor alpha (RORα) in skin Tregs regulates immune response. Removing RORα from Tregs led to an increase in inflammatory cells and worsened eczema symptoms. The study suggests boosting RORα or targeting related pathways may be effective treatments.

SourceBoston Children's Hospital·JournalScience Immunology·DateMar 6, 2018

Environmental exposures more determinant of respiratory health than inherited genetics

A large-scale study analyzing over 1.6 million data points found that environmental exposures, such as air pollution, have a greater impact on gene expression related to respiratory diseases than genetic ancestry. The research used big data to uncover the environmental factors behind diseases and inform strategies for prevention.

SourceOntario Institute for Cancer Research·JournalNature Communications·DateMar 6, 2018

Study advances research in pelvic organ prolapse among women

A new study by Johns Hopkins Medicine provides a long-awaited baseline measure of the rate of progression of pelvic organ prolapse. The research found that pelvic organ prolapse progresses slowly, with women who gave birth vaginally being about five years ahead in progression compared to those who delivered by Caesarean section.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalAmerican Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology·DateMar 6, 2018

A simple trick for modeling calcium

Researchers have developed a straightforward modification to computer models of calcium ions that leads to highly accurate simulations. The new model can simulate calcium interactions with proteins and other molecules, providing powerful tools for studying biological processes.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalThe Journal of Chemical Physics·DateMar 6, 2018

Teaching computers to guide science: Machine learning method sees forests and trees

Researchers at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley have developed a novel machine learning method called 'iterative Random Forests,' which can identify high-order interactions in complex systems. This approach enables scientists to gain radically richer information than traditional methods, with applications in biology, precision medicine, ma...

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 6, 2018

Scientists developed a material for the new type of liquid crystal displays

Researchers from Lomonosov Moscow State University and their international colleagues created a ferroelectric liquid crystal material that outperforms traditional LCDs in terms of speed, stability, and color accuracy. This breakthrough enables faster and more efficient displays with improved resolution and reduced energy consumption.

SourceLomonosov Moscow State University·JournalAdvanced Functional Materials·DateMar 6, 2018