Science News
Rethinking hospital alarms
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 20:30
On average, there are about 480,000 patients in hospitals in the United States -- each generating about 135 clinical alarms per day. But studies show that more than 90 percent of these alarms result in no action, and ala...
Predicting the spread of the Zika virus
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 17:09
A new tool predicts the risk of Zika virus importation and local transmission for 189 countries.
Faster, more efficient CRISPR editing in mice
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 19:26
Creating transgenic mice, while critical to biomedical research, is laborious and expensive, despite improvements since the advent of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. Now, biologists have invented a technique that simplifies, i...
Guarding the gatekeepers
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 20:29
Calcium is a key signalling agent in the information networks of life. As calcium ions cannot cross cell membranes directly, the rise and fall of calcium levels within a cell are controlled through a set of proteins know...
Engineers discover a new gatekeeper for light
e! Science News - 27 May 2016 07:15
Imagine a device that is selectively transparent to various wavelengths of light at one moment, and opaque to them the next, following a minute adjustment.
Zika virus infects human placental macrophages
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 21:33
One of Zika's mysteries is how the virus passes from an infected mother, through the placenta, to a developing fetus. The route may not be direct either -- transmission via multiple cell types may be necessary. A new stu...
Restoring chemotherapy sensitivity by boosting microRNA levels
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 17:06
By increasing the level of a specific microRNA (miRNA) molecule, researchers have for the first time restored chemotherapy sensitivity in vitro to a line of human pancreatic cancer cells that had developed resistance to ...
Study finds that protein puts the brakes on melanin
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 17:06
Skin, eye and hair pigmentation requires a delicate balance of acidity within the cellular compartments where melanin is made -- that balance is partly regulated, scientists now know, by a protein called TPC2.
UK to trial HPV vaccine in gay men but no plans yet for all boys
New Scientist - 27 May 2016 20:23
The HPV vaccine is to be offered to 40,000 men who have sex with men, but campaigners have repeated the call to offer the jab to all adolescent boys
Make music with ATLAS data
Phys.org - 27 May 2016 17:14
From techno beats to classical melodies, from jazz swinging to pop and rock riffs - the ATLAS experiment can play them all thanks to Quantizer.
3-D model reveals how invisible waves move materials within aquatic ecosystems
Phys.org - 28 May 2016 00:50
Garbage, nutrients and tiny animals are pushed around, suspended in the world's oceans by waves invisible to the naked eye according to a new 3-D model developed by mathematicians at the University of Waterloo.
Packing for space flattened NASA's inflatable space hotel
New Scientist - 27 May 2016 23:30
The blow-up BEAM habitat had its first test run on the International Space Station on Thursday, but the constraints of being packed for the trip kept it from inflating sufficiently, NASA says
Spin glass physics with trapped ions
Phys.org - 27 May 2016 23:16
One of the most striking discoveries of quantum information theory is the existence of problems that can be solved in a more efficient way with quantum resources than with any known classical algorithm.
Building blocks of life spotted around comet for the first time
New Scientist - 27 May 2016 22:00
The Rosetta spacecraft has detected biological components glycine and phosphorus emerging from its comet - suggesting life on Earth could have arrived on a ball of ice
Social media use may help identify students at risk of alcohol problems
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 21:33
Having an 'alcohol identity' puts college students at greater risk of having drinking problems, say researchers, adding that posting about alcohol use on social media sites is actually a stronger predictor of alcohol pro...
Automating DNA origami opens door to many new uses
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 21:33
An algorithm for building DNA nanoparticles automatically has now been developed by researchers, paving the way to many more applications for 'DNA origami.'
Skin cancer: Team synthesizes new drugs with surprising powers
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 21:33
Finding new, more effective and personalized treatments for cancer is the challenge of many researchers. The challenge has been successfully met by a team that has just synthesized and developed new drugs for melanoma.
In wake of Flint crisis, new proposal seeks to 'focus on the fix' for lead poisoning
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 21:33
The crisis of lead-contaminated drinking water in Flint, Michigan continues to make headlines, but it's just the most prominent example of an 'ongoing and needless tragedy of childhood lead poisoning,' according to a not...
Harnessing solar and wind energy in one device could power the 'Internet of Things'
e! Science News - 27 May 2016 21:02
The "Internet of Things" could make cities "smarter" by connecting an extensive network of tiny communications devices to make life more efficient. But all these machines will require a lot of energy. Rather than adding ...
Telling irregularities: New procedure uses heart rate to estimate the life expectancy of infarct patients
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 20:29
The heart rate may be an indicator of a person's life expectancy. A research team has to this end analyzed an effect which at first seems paradoxical: Minor irregularities in the heartbeat are indicative of a healthy bod...
Blood test supports use of potential new treatment for patients with stomach cancer
Science Daily - 27 May 2016 20:29
Testing cancers for 'addiction' to a gene that boosts cell growth can pick out patients who may respond to a targeted drug under development, a major new study reports. By measuring the number of copies of just one gene ...
Shape-Shifting Touch Screens Can Morph on Demand
Live Science - 27 May 2016 20:22
Researchers have designed a device that can morph into different shapes, depending on the desired function or even who is holding it.