Science
press releases.

Science14 Jul 2025

GLP-1 receptor agonists in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

About The Study: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) therapy in idiopathic intracranial hypertension is associated with significant reductions in medication use, symptoms/signs, and procedural interventions, suggesting its potential as a management strategy. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Dennis J. Rivet II, MD, email dennis.rivet@vcuhealth.org. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.2020) Editor’s Note: Please ...

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Science14 Jul 2025

In a competitive world, mean leaders look smart

People who view the world as a savage social jungle are more likely to admire antagonistic leaders, praising their competence, while those who see the social world as cooperative and benign might just call those leaders clueless, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. “Why do some people see antagonistic behavior in leaders – especially when it’s particularly mean or forceful or disagreeable – as a sign of incompetence, while others view it as a mark of savvy leadership?” said Christine Nguyen, a doctoral student at Columbia ...

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Science14 Jul 2025

How new genes get switched on

Most genes are ancient and shared across species. But a small subset of genes are relative newcomers, spontaneously emerging from stretches of DNA that once encoded nothing at all. Now, after nearly a decade of charting these genes in fruit flies, researchers have discovered how these de novo genes are regulated. In complementary studies, in Nature Ecology & Evolution and PNAS, the team showed how transcription factors and genomic neighbors switch these genes on and integrate them into cellular networks—the first studies to identify these master regulators. Together, the findings shed light on how new genes become ...

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Science14 Jul 2025

So what do the world’s coastlines look like in 2025?

At the dawn of the millennium, a group of eminent scientists began compiling a list of the threats they felt were most likely to impact the world’s rocky shorelines over the coming quarter of a century. Published in 2002, it included forecasts that – among other things – pollution from oil spills would decrease, the number of invasive species across the world would rise, genetically-modified organisms would have harmful effects on the ocean, and the impacts of global climate change would be felt more intensely. Now, 25 years on, the same academics – along with a larger and more wide-ranging team of international experts – have revisited ...

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Science14 Jul 2025

New study finds sharp increase in nicotine pouch ingestions among young children

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – A new study reveals that ingestions of nicotine pouches by young children have surged in recent years. Researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Central Ohio Poison Center analyzed calls to U.S. poison centers and found an alarming 763% increase in the rate of reported nicotine pouch ingestions among children younger than 6 years old from 2020 to 2023. Nicotine pouches were also more ...

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Science13 Jul 2025

Early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals may fuel food preferences

SAN FRANCISCO—Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in early life, including during gestation and infancy, results in a higher preference for sugary and fatty foods later in life, according to an animal study being presented Sunday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are substances in the environment (air, soil or water supply), food sources, personal care products and manufactured products that interfere with the normal function ...

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Science13 Jul 2025

Consuming certain sweeteners may increase risk of early puberty

SAN FRANCISCO—Consuming certain sweeteners commonly found in foods and beverages may increase the risk of early puberty in children, particularly among those who are genetically predisposed, according to a study being presented Sunday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif. The researchers found that consuming aspartame, sucralose, glycyrrhizin and added sugars was significantly associated with a higher risk of early puberty, especially in children with certain genetic traits. The more of these sweeteners the ...

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Science12 Jul 2025

Oxytocin may reduce mood changes in women with disrupted sleep

SAN FRANCISCO—Oxytocin, often called “the love hormone,” may play a protective role in mood disturbances triggered by sleep loss and hormonal shifts during key reproductive transitions like postpartum and menopause, according to a study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School studied the combined impact of sleep interruption and estrogen suppression on mood and oxytocin levels in healthy premenopausal women. Their findings suggest that oxytocin may help reduce the negative mood effects brought on by fragmented sleep, which ...

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Science11 Jul 2025

Melatonin receptor 1a alleviates sleep fragmentation-aggravated testicular injury in T2DM by suppression of TAB1/TAK1 complex through FGFR1

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2025.05.018 This new article publication from Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, discusses how melatonin receptor 1a alleviates sleep fragmentation-aggravated testicular injury in T2DM by suppression of TAB1/TAK1 complex through FGFR1. A major obstacle in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is sleep fragmentation (SF), which negatively affects testicular function. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. This study demonstrated that SF induces testicular damage through a mechanism involving lipid metabolism, ...

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Science11 Jul 2025

CTE and normal aging are difficult to distinguish, new study finds

Analyzed 174 donated brains, including from former high school, college football players Larger studies needed to understand how p-tau relates to aging and the extent to which repetitive impact from contact sport predisposes to p-tau accumulation Whether such changes cause or are associated with clinical problems during life remains unclear CHICAGO --- In recent years, some scientists and advocates have warned that playing contact sports like football and hockey may increase the risk of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to a buildup of a specific protein in the brain. But a new ...

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Science11 Jul 2025

What’s driving America’s deep freezes in a warming world?

Despite a warming climate, bone-chilling winter cold can grip parts of the U.S.—and this study explains why. Researchers found that two specific patterns in the polar vortex, a swirling mass of cold air high in the stratosphere, steer extreme cold to different regions of the country. One pattern drives Arctic air into the Northwest U.S., the other into the Central and Eastern areas. Since 2015, the Northwest has experienced more of these cold outbreaks, thanks to a shift in stratospheric behavior tied to broader climate cycles. In short: what happens high above the Arctic can shape the winter on your doorstep. As winters in the United States continue ...

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Science11 Jul 2025

Erin M. Schuman wins 2026 Nakasone Award for discovery on neural synapse function and change during formation of memories

The International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) is pleased to award the 2026 HFSP Nakasone Award to Erin Schuman for her breakthrough related to the function and plasticity of neuronal synapses, their mRNA triggered function, and change during memory formation. Schuman’s groundbreaking research revealed that proteins critical for neuron communication, plasticity and memory storage, are produced locally at synapses, the junctions between neurons. This insight overturns the previous belief that all proteins are made in the cell body and then shipped out to synapses where they function. “HFSPO is thrilled to honor Dr. Erin Schuman as her discovery is influencing ...

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Science11 Jul 2025

State gun laws and firearm-related homicides and suicides

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study, stronger gun laws correlated with decreased overall firearm mortality, with the strongest correlations for decreased suicides. For firearm suicide, this analyses lend support to policies that regulate firearm sales, transfers, and permitting laws. While some gun law categories were correlated with decreased firearm homicide, sociodemographic factors, such as unemployment, poverty, and insurance status, correlated with larger changes, suggesting policies that address root causes of violence through economic mobility and access to robust ...

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Science11 Jul 2025

Use of tobacco and cannabis following state-level cannabis legalization

About The Study: In this longitudinal cohort study, recreational cannabis legalization was associated with more cannabis and electronic nicotine delivery systems use after 5 years and no significant change in cigarette use. Furthermore, cannabis use increased over time, underscoring the importance of studying commercialization policy going forward. Based on the present results, it is unlikely recreational cannabis legalization has been associated with a large increase in cigarette use, but increases in use of cannabis and vaped nicotine bear close monitoring as retail cannabis rapidly expands. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Andrew S. Hyatt, ...

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Science11 Jul 2025

Underserved youth less likely to visit emergency department for concussion in Ontario, study finds

Toronto, ON, July 11, 2025 — A new study finds socioeconomic disparities in rates of emergency department (ED) visits for concussion among children and youth. Researchers from ICES, York University, Toronto Metropolitan University, and the University of Calgary found an increase in ED visits for concussion among all age groups prior to the pandemic, with the biggest increase among older children and teens (ages 10 to 19 years). However, children in the highest socioeconomic status group accounted for significantly more concussion-related ED visits ...

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Science11 Jul 2025

‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger

Approximately 40% of the European population are allergic to pollen, and their symptoms cause an estimated loss of 100 million school- and workdays every year. The prevalence of hay fever has been surging for decades and this is likely to continue– a change so fast that genetic and health changes can’t be solely responsible. Improved hygiene, the widespread use of antibiotics and antiseptics, lifestyle changes, diet, pollution, and the climate crisis are also thought to play a major role in this increase. But now there is new hope for sufferers. As proof-of-principle, researchers have engineered ...

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Science11 Jul 2025

Toxic metals linked to impaired growth in infants in Guatemala

TUCSON, Ariz. — Research led by the University of Arizona Health Sciences found a potential link between growth problems among infants and high levels of toxic metals and other elements in the breast milk of Mayan women in Guatemala’s Lake Atitlán watershed region. The findings were reported in the journal Environmental Pollution. Guatemala has the highest rate of impaired growth, or stunting, in the Western Hemisphere. Stunting is frequently attributed to poor nutrition and infections. Many studies have linked ...

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Science10 Jul 2025

Ethnic minority and poorer children more likely to die in intensive care

SMC labelling: Peer-reviewed, Observational study, People Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre press release Under STRICT embargo until: Thursday 10 July 2025 23.30 GMT/ 18.30 Eastern Standard Time Ethnic minority and poorer children more likely to die in intensive care Children from ethnic minority backgrounds and those living in areas with higher levels of child poverty were more likely to die in intensive care than White children and those from the least deprived areas. Researchers ...

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Science10 Jul 2025

Fewer complications after additional ultrasound in pregnant women who feel less fetal movement

It can be difficult to decide whether to expedite birth when a woman in the final stage of pregnancy perceives less fetal movements. An additional ultrasound measurement to assess resistance infetal blood vessels can help make this decision more accurately, leading to fewer complications during delivery. This is the conclusion of a large international study led by gynaecologist Sanne Gordijn from the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), in collaboration with Wessel Ganzevoort from Amsterdam UMC. Reduced Fetal Movement Can Be Concerning Sometimes, ...

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Science10 Jul 2025

New study reveals surprising reproductive secrets of a cricket-hunting parasitoid fly

A new study published in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America, offers the most detailed view to date of how this unusual fly develops and gives live birth—a rare phenomenon among flies. Led by undergraduate student Parker Henderson ‘22 of St. Olaf College, the study revealed remarkable insights into the reproductive biology of Ormia ochracea, a parasitic fly known for its ability to locate singing crickets using hyperacute directional hearing. Using a combination of dissection, fluorescence staining, and microscopy, the ...

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Science10 Jul 2025

Media Tip Sheet: Symposia at ESA2025

The latest ecological research will be on full display at the Ecological Society of America’s upcoming Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, Aug. 10–15. A focal point of the conference, symposia consist of four 20-minute talks organized around a central theme of broad interest. These sessions consider topics from different angles, integrate multiple lines of evidence and offer new insights on ecological phenomena. This year, Annual Meeting symposia will address the questions and tools at the frontiers of ...

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Science10 Jul 2025

Tiny parasitoid flies show how early-life competition shapes adult success

In a new study published and featured in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America, researchers have discovered that the developmental struggles of young parasitoid flies can have lasting effects that echo into adulthood. Led by a team from St. Olaf College in collaboration with others from the University of Strathclyde and the University of Toronto, the study shows that when larvae of the acoustic parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea compete for resources inside a single cricket host, the consequences include reduced survival, smaller pupae, and ultimately smaller adult flies. These ...

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Science10 Jul 2025

Ancient trees dying faster than expected in Eastern Oregon

Eastern Oregon’s Malheur National Forest boasts some of the state’s oldest trees, including pine and larch that live more than 500 years. But many of those ancient trees are dying at an alarming rate, a new analysis shows. Between 2012 and 2023, a quarter of trees more than 300 years old in randomly located sites in roadless areas died, the study found. A triple whammy of drought, bug infestations and competition with younger trees is likely driving the decline. “It’s sad to see so many old trees dying,” said lead researcher ...

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Science10 Jul 2025

Study findings help hone precision of proven CVD risk tool

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (July 10, 2025) – Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction models have improved the ability to stratify adults across the CVD risk spectrum. Researchers at Sutter Health and colleagues at Stanford University tested the performance of the American Heart Association’s Predicting Risk of CVD Events (PREVENT) equations in the six largest Asian subgroups as well as in Mexican and Puerto Rican Hispanic subgroups. The findings, published June 25 in JAMA Cardiology, showed the PREVENT equations accurately predicted CVD, atherosclerotic CVD ...

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Science10 Jul 2025

New research shows how tropical plants manage rival insect tenants by giving them separate ‘flats’

-With images- In the tropical rainforests of Fiji, a genus of unusual plants has developed a remarkably simple but highly effective way to prevent violence between rival ant colonies: architecture. In a new study published in Science, an international team led by Professor Guillaume Chomicki at Durham University has revealed how some species of the epiphytic plant Squamellaria (part of the coffee family, Rubiaceae) form peaceful and productive partnerships with multiple aggressive ant species simply by physically ...

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