Science
press releases.

Science24 Jun 2025

Interpretation on feature groups for tree models

Past years have witnessed impressive successes for tree models, while an important problem is to understand their predictions, especially for some critical applications. Previous interpretation methods for tree models focus on measuring the importance of individual features while ignoring plentiful correlations and structures among multiple features. To solve the problems, a research team led by Wei GAO published their new research on 15 May 2025 in Frontiers of Computer Science co-published by Higher Education Press and Springer Nature. The ...

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Science24 Jun 2025

Military discharge is a time of challenge and opportunity

The military prides itself on loyalty and respect but those values must extend to how they treat those who leave service, new research from Flinders University reveals. Led by Australian Army veteran and Flinders University PhD Candidate Cameron Grant, the study analysed responses from nearly 400 former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members, uncovering widespread dissatisfaction with their discharge experience. “The discharge process represents a complete severance of all military status, which can be extremely challenging in and of itself, but if that process is also unpleasant it can ...

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Science24 Jun 2025

Common pregnancy complications may be a signal of future stroke risk

Women who experience complications during pregnancy face a higher risk of stroke in the following decades according to research published in the European Heart Journal [1] today (Tuesday). The study, which included data on more than two million women over more than 40 years, found an increased risk for women who had diabetes or high blood pressure while pregnant, a preterm delivery or a baby with a low birth weight. Researchers say these common pregnancy complications could act as an early signal for cardiovascular problems in the future, meaning women could receive help early in life to lower their risk of ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

Study casts doubt on ‘incestuous royalty’ in Neolithic Ireland

New research has cast doubts over suggestions an incestuous social elite ruled over the ancient people of Ireland more than 5,000 years ago. Researchers examined the evidence from burials of individuals at the Newgrange prehistoric monument in Ireland - a large circular mound containing a chamber where cremated and unburnt human remains were placed, the discovery of which led to speculation that those buried there must have been from an elite class or a royal family. In 2020, the DNA analysis of a bone skull fragment found in the chamber, however, suggested that at least one of the individuals buried there was the result of a relationship ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

HSE linguists study how bilinguals use phrases with numerals in Russian

Researchers at HSE University analysed over 4,000 examples of Russian spoken by bilinguals for whom Russian is a second language, collected from seven regions of Russia. They found that most non-standard numeral constructions are influenced not only by the speakers’ native languages but also by how frequently these expressions occur in everyday speech. For example, common phrases like 'two hours' or 'five kilometres’ almost always match the standard literary form, while less familiar expressions—especially ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

HSE scientists reveal how staying at alma mater can affect early-career researchers

Many early-career scientists continue their academic careers at the same university where they studied, a practice known as academic inbreeding. A researcher at the HSE Institute of Education analysed the impact of academic inbreeding on publication activity in the natural sciences and mathematics. The study found that the impact is ambiguous and depends on various factors, including the university's geographical location, its financial resources, and the state of the regional academic employment market. A paper with the study findings has been published in Research Policy. In Russia, nearly half of all PhD holders continue working ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

Non-contact and nanometer-scale measurement of shallow PN junction depth buried in Si wafers

Si LSI manufacturing technology is essential as the foundation of modern society. However, there was no wafer-scale technology for rapid, non-destructive, and non-contact evaluation of the internal electric field distribution, carrier transport characteristics, defects, and high-speed response of devices, which are being miniaturized and made three-dimensional to achieve high-density integration of electronic devices. In a new paper published in Light: Science & Applications, an international team of scientists ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

Killer whales groom each other using tools made from kelp

Primates, birds, and elephants are all known to make tools, but examples of tool use among marine animals are much more limited. Reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on June 23, a team of whale experts has found widespread tool manufacture and usage in an endangered population of resident killer whales living in the Salish Sea—part of the Pacific Ocean between British Columbia and Washington. The whales fashion tools from kelp and use them for grooming purposes. “We found that southern resident killer whales regularly use lengths of bull kelp during social interactions, ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

Killer whales make seaweed ‘tools’ to scratch each other’s backs

Killer whales have been seen detaching lengths of seaweed and using them to massage each other – the first evidence of tool-making by marine mammals. The whales bite off the end of a kelp stalk, position it between themselves and a partner, and roll the kelp between their bodies for prolonged periods. Scientists spotted this behaviour in drone footage of “southern resident” killer whales in the Salish Sea, in the inland waters of Washington, USA. Whales of all ages were seen doing this, possibly ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

Role of sleep and white matter in the link between screen time and depression in childhood and early adolescence

About The Study: The results of this study show that more screen time in late childhood was associated with more depressive symptoms, potentially due to shorter sleep and worse white matter organization during early adolescence. These findings emphasize the importance of promoting healthy habits and balancing screen time with adequate sleep. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, João Paulo Lima Santos, MD, email limasantosjp2@upmc.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.1718) Editor’s ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

U.S. neonatal mortality from perinatal causes

About The Study: U.S. neonatal mortality has generally decreased, likely due to medical advancements, improved prenatal care, and neonatal intensive care interventions. However, mortality from slow fetal growth and malnutrition has increased by nearly 2% annually, possibly reflecting impaired prenatal nutrition. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Muzamil Khan, MD, email muzamilkhan1411@gmail.com. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.1710) Editor’s ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

Teen depression? Study finds clues in screen use and sleep quality

PITTSBURGH, June 23, 2025 – In this digital era, both kids and adults are often glued to smartphone screens. Digital technology keeps users entertained, connected to friends, and in tune with important news. But some reports suggest that, particularly for adolescents, excessive time on these screens can be linked to mental health problems and even depression. New research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine published today in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that that association is driven by shorter ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

Research alert: CBD might help children with autism, but more research needed

Researchers at the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found that cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating compound found in cannabis, could help reduce problematic behaviors in autistic boys. The results provide valuable insights into the potential benefits and limitations of CBD as a therapeutic intervention for autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication difficulties, repetitive behaviors ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

Aggressiveness responses in mice depend on the instigator

Tsukuba, Japan—Displaced aggression, such as lashing out at an unrelated individual after a frustrating experience, is a well-documented phenomenon in both humans and animals. In mice, males typically attack unfamiliar, potentially rival males that enter their territory. However, when the rival was placed inside a transparent enclosure, physical contact was blocked despite visual and olfactory access. This situation increased arousal in the subject—a phenomenon known as "social instigation"—which primed the animal for heightened aggression. When subsequently presented with access to a different rival, the subject exhibited significantly ...

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Science23 Jun 2025

How babies are affected by their mother’s age

Giving birth to a child after 40 is becoming more and more common – but it can entail an increased risk to the child. A new study based on data from over 300,000 births in Sweden shows that children of older mothers are more often born prematurely or with complications, especially when the mother is 45 years of age or older. In large parts of the world, women are having children later and later in life. In Sweden, 4.8% of mothers were 40 years of age or older in 2022. Previous research has shown that older mothers differ from younger mothers in several respects such as having a higher BMI, a higher proportion having utilised assisted ...

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Science22 Jun 2025

Antimicrobial resistance genes hitch rides on imported seafood

Highlights: Resistance to colistin, a potent antibiotic, is on the rise. In 2016, researchers discovered that colistin resistance could be transferred laterally among microbes. Researchers have isolated genes that confer colistin resistance from imported seafood purchased from markets in Atlanta, Ga. The findings suggest imported seafood could promote the spread of transmissible colistin resistance. Los Angeles, Calif.—Colistin is a potent, last-resort antibiotic, used only to treat people ...

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Science20 Jun 2025

New method to study catalysts could lead to better batteries

Scientists and engineers study the atomic interactions that happen on the surface of materials to develop more energy efficient batteries, capacitors, and other devices. But accurately simulating these fundamental interactions requires immense computing power to fully capture the geometrical and chemical intricacies involved, and current methods are just scratching the surface. “Currently it’s prohibitive and there’s no supercomputer in the world that can do an analysis like that,” says Siddharth Deshpande, an assistant professor in the University of Rochester’s Department of Chemical Engineering. “We need clever ways to manage ...

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Science20 Jun 2025

New research reveals why acute and chronic pain are so different – and what might make pain last

A new study reveals that when we experience short-term (acute) pain, the brain has a built-in way to dial down pain signals — like pressing the brakes — to keep them from going into overdrive. But in long-term (chronic) pain, this braking system fails, and the pain signals just keep firing. This discovery helps explain why some pain goes away while other pain lingers, and it opens the door to new treatments that could stop pain from becoming chronic in the first place. Why does some pain go away ...

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Science20 Jun 2025

Stable cooling fostered life, rapid warming brought death: scientists use high-resolution fusuline data reveal evolutionary responses to cooling and warming

The Earth is rapidly warming — but did you know? Similar climate upheavals over 300 million years ago once triggered massive fluctuations in marine life. Recently, a research team led by Prof. Shuzhong Shen of Nanjing University published a major finding in Science Advances, revealing for the first time — through high-precision big data — that during the Late Paleozoic (approximately 340 to 250 million years ago), global cooling promoted rapid evolution and diversification of marine life, while abrupt warming, especially that induced by volcanic eruptions, led to mass extinctions. The focus of the study is an ancient group of single-celled marine organisms ...

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Science20 Jun 2025

Want better sleep for your tween? Start with their screens

Toronto, ON - Good sleep is vital for adolescents’ physical health, mental well-being, and academic success — yet many don’t get enough rest. Now, a new study reveals bedtime screen habits may be to blame. Published in Sleep Health, the study provides new insights into tweens’ bedtime screen use, as well as its associations with sleep disturbance and duration. Researchers found that over 70% of tweens had an Internet-connected device in their bedroom, with nearly 25% reporting they were woken up in the past week by notifications. If they woke up in the middle of the night, 28% went on their device before falling back asleep. “Getting ...

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Science20 Jun 2025

New method revolutionizes beta-blocker production process

Chinese scientists have developed a breakthrough process that significantly improves the efficiency and environmental friendliness of beta-blocker production—with a focus on the widely used compound propranolol, which plays a vital role in managing cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, arrhythmia, and angina. Led by Prof. ZHANG Xiqi at the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the research team developed a novel amine-functionalized graphene oxide (NGO) membrane reactor that enables ultrafast, continuous-flow synthesis of propranolol, with nearly ...

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Science20 Jun 2025

Weighted vests might help older adults meet weight loss goals, but solution for corresponding bone loss still elusive

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – June 20, 2025 – A new randomized clinical trial, led by a team of researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Wake Forest University, did not find evidence that wearing a weighted vest or engaging in resistance training prevented bone loss in older adults undergoing intentional weight loss. The study, published today in JAMA Network Open, underscores the persistent need for alternative strategies to protect skeletal health in aging populations with obesity. While weight loss is commonly advised to enhance cardiovascular ...

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Science20 Jun 2025

Understanding the effect of bedding on thermal insulation during sleep

The temperature of our sleeping environment has a major impact on the quality of our sleep, and good sleep is essential for our overall health and well-being. The bedding micro-environment is a key factor in maintaining thermally comfortable conditions for sleep. This includes the ambient temperature, humidity, the heat generated by the human body, and the thermal insulation provided by bedding like quilts, blankets, sheets, etc. In particular, the total thermal insulation, or the ability of the bedding systems to resist heat flow, ...

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Science19 Jun 2025

Placenta and hormone levels in the womb may have been key driver in human evolution, say researchers

The placenta and the hormones it produces may have played a crucial role in the evolution of the human brain, while also leading to the behavioural traits that have made human societies able to thrive and expand, according to a new hypothesis proposed by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford. Dr Alex Tsompanidis, senior researcher at the Autism Research Centre in the University of Cambridge, and the lead author of this new study, said: “Small variations in the prenatal levels of steroid hormones, like testosterone and oestrogen, can predict the rate of social and cognitive learning in infants and even ...

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Science19 Jun 2025

Paper outlines more efficient organic photoredox catalysis system inspired by photosynthesis

EMBARGO: THIST CONTENT IS UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 2 P.M. U.S. EASTERN STANDARD TIME ON JUNE 19, 2025. INTERESTED MEDIA MAY RECIVE A PREVIEW COPY OF THE JOURNAL ARTICLE IN ADVANCE OF THAT DATE OR CONDUCT INTERVIEWS, BUT THE INFORMATION MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, OR POSTED ONLINE UNTIL AFTER THE RELEASE WINDOW. Colorado State University researchers have published a paper in Science that describes a new and more efficient light-based process for transforming fossil fuels into useful modern chemicals. In it, they report that their organic ...

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