Science
press releases.

Science16 Jun 2025

One-step route to complex molecules using ortho-quinodimethanes

Organic chemistry features a wide array of reactions for creating complex molecules, among which the Diels–Alder reaction stands out for its versatility and precision. This reaction enables the construction of intricate polycyclic compounds—structures often found in natural products and pharmaceuticals—by joining dienes and dienophiles with high regio- and stereoselectivity. One particularly valuable diene for this purpose is ortho-quinodimethane (oQDM), known for its ability to form fused-ring systems. However, synthesizing this reactive intermediate ...

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Science16 Jun 2025

New tool improves the detection of hidden genetic mutations

Scientists at UCLA and the University of Toronto have developed an advanced computational tool, called moPepGen, that helps identify previously invisible genetic mutations in proteins, unlocking new possibilities in cancer research and beyond. The tool, described in Nature Biotechnology, will help understand how changes in our DNA affect proteins and ultimately contribute to cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and other conditions. It provides a new way to create diagnostic tests and to find treatment targets previously invisible to researchers. Proteogenomics combines the study of genomics and proteomics to provide a comprehensive molecular profile of diseases. ...

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Science16 Jun 2025

1 in 12 experience threats or violence at work in the UK, finds study

1 in 12 workers experienced threats, insults or physical attacks in the workplace in the past year, according to a new study. The research was co-authored by Dr Vanessa Gash (City St George’s, University of London) and Dr Niels Blom (University of Manchester), and found that violence and threats in the workplace are much more prevalent than previously thought: Workplace violence was found in all industries examined, from finance to construction to the arts 1 in 13 employees reported feeling unsafe at work Violence & fear in the workplace were linked to workers developing anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder Workers continued to experience symptoms of poor ...

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Science16 Jun 2025

National Poll: Many parents struggle letting teens have independence on family vacations

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Parents’ visions of family vacation time may not always match what their teens have in mind. And many parents struggle with that transition in travel expectations as kids get older, a new national poll suggests, with one in five saying they have never allowed their teen to be away from them during a vacation or trip. Fewer than half of parents are also likely to leave a teen alone while they go to a hotel breakfast or out for dinner, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. “It’s natural for teens to seek more independence and time ...

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Science16 Jun 2025

ISTA and Google launch research collaboration

The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) in Klosterneuburg and Google have signed a “Master Sponsored Research Agreement” to explore joint scientific research areas. Under this agreement, Google will collaborate with and fund research projects at ISTA, ranging from AI and algorithms to neuro-imaging techniques useful for medical research. In addition, Google has opened a presence at the xista science park directly opposite the ISTA campus to form a liaison between the American corporation, ...

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Science16 Jun 2025

“Chicken is her favorite dish. If one clucks, she comes”: how anacondas, chickens, and locals may be able to coexist in the Amazon

What inspired you to become a researcher? As a child, I was fascinated by reports and documentaries about field research and often wondered what it took to be there and what kind of knowledge was being produced. Later, as an ecologist, I felt the need for approaches that better connected scientific research with real-world contexts. I became especially interested in perspectives that viewed humans not as separate from nature, but as part of ecological systems. This led me to explore integrative methods that incorporate local and traditional knowledge, aiming to make research more relevant and accessible to the communities ...

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Science16 Jun 2025

Seeing clearly through thick fog: KIST develops ultra-low noise, high sensitivity photodetector

Technologies enabling safe visual recognition in low-visibility environments are gaining increasing attention across sectors such as autonomous driving, aviation, and smart transportation. Thick fog remains a major challenge on highways, mountainous roads, and airport runways, where vision-based recognition systems frequently fail. Traditional visible light cameras, LiDAR, and thermal infrared (IR) sensors experience a sharp drop in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) under scattering conditions, making object and pedestrian detection unreliable. To overcome these challenges, ...

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Science16 Jun 2025

AI-powered study shows surge in global rheumatoid arthritis since 1980, revealing local hotspots

Philadelphia, June 16, 2025 – The most comprehensive analysis of rheumatoid arthritis data to date reveals that demographic changes and uneven health infrastructure have exacerbated the rheumatoid arthritis burden since 1980 and shows global disparities on a granular level. The AI-powered study in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, published by Elsevier, utilized deep learning techniques and policy simulations to uncover actionable insights for localized interventions that national-level studies have previously missed. Its design yielded highly precise, dynamic projections of further disease burden to 2040. Principal investigator Queran ...

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Science16 Jun 2025

Homelessness in pregnant and parenting people is increasing

Homelessness is increasing in pregnant and parenting people in Canada, posing health risks to children. Authors of a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241623 argue it is a health crisis that needs urgent attention. “Housing is a basic life necessity for everyone,” write Drs. Nicole Racine and Stéphanie Manoni-Millar, University of Ottawa, and CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario. “With rising numbers of pregnant and parenting people experiencing homelessness ...

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Science16 Jun 2025

Study: Loneliness doesn’t raise mortality risk

Various reports have linked loneliness to premature death, with some — including the U.S. Surgeon General — suggesting that loneliness is as harmful to one’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. However, a new international study led by researchers at the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health Sciences has found that while loneliness is common among older adults receiving home care, it is not associated with an increased risk of death. The researchers analyzed data from more than ...

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Science16 Jun 2025

Women who work nightshifts are more likely to have asthma

Women who work night shifts are more likely to suffer with moderate or severe asthma compared to women who work in the daytime, according to a study published today (Monday) in ERJ Open Research [1]. The research, which included more than 270,000 people, found no such link between asthma and working nightshifts in men. The study was by Dr Robert Maidstone from the University of Manchester, UK, and colleagues. He said: “Asthma disproportionately affects women. Women generally have more severe asthma, and higher rate of hospitalisation and death from asthma compared to men. “In ...

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Science15 Jun 2025

MOVEO project kicks off in Málaga to shape the future of smarter, smoother mobility across Europe

Málaga, Spain – May 29, 2025 – The MOVEO project has officially launched! On May 27–28, 2025, 16 partners from nine European countries gathered at the headquarters of project coordinator CEMOSA in Málaga to initiate a bold new step toward transforming how people and goods move through Europe’s transport networks. With growing urban populations and a surge in shipping demands, today’s transport infrastructure faces unprecedented pressure. The MOVEO project—funded under the Horizon Europe programme—aims to tackle these challenges by creating smart, integrated solutions for logistics and passenger flows, moving Europe closer to truly ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

Two frontiers: Illinois experts combine forces to develop novel nanopore sensing platform

A pioneering partnership between researchers from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has produced a novel nanopore sensing platform for single-biomolecule detection. Their findings, published in PNAS, pave the way for solid-state, label-free DNA sequencing technologies with implications for precision medicine. Nanopore sensors are tiny devices used to detect and analyze individual molecules by measuring ionic changes as the molecules pass through nanometer-scale openings. These sensors are classified into two types: one relying on biological materials, and the other on inorganic solid-state ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

Review of active distribution network reconfiguration: Past progress and future directions

As power grids become more complex with the rise of renewable energy and local energy sources like rooftop solar panels, managing electricity efficiently is more challenging than ever. In a study published in Access, a group of researchers from the Brazil, Syria, Iran and U.K., focuses on how to make electric power distribution systems more efficient by changing the way they are configured. In power systems, this process is called Distribution System Reconfiguration. It's used to reduce power losses and improve how electricity ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

What’s really in our food? A global look at food composition databases and the gaps we need to fix

In today’s world, we hear a lot about what we should eat: more vegetables, less sugar and salt, and to obtain locally sourced, sustainable, and nutrient-rich food. But there’s a fundamental question most people don’t think about: How do we actually know what is in our food? The answer lies in food composition databases (FCDBs), which are collections of data about the nutritional content of different foods, from macronutrients like protein and fat, to vitamins, minerals and specialized biomolecules like antioxidants and phytochemicals. But a new global review, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, reveals ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

Museomics highlights the importance of scientific museum collections

In 1831, Charles Darwin embarked on a five-year voyage to South America aboard the HMS Beagle, which was conducting hydrographic surveys. During the expedition, Darwin explored remote regions of the continent, collecting plants, animals, and fossils and recording detailed observations. These materials were fundamental to the development of his ideas on evolution by natural selection, which are a pillar of modern scientific development. Today, the collection Darwin gathered on his most famous voyage is in the care of ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

Amazon trees under pressure: New study reveals how forest giants handle light and heat

MSU has a satellite uplink/LTN TV studio and Comrex line for radio interviews upon request. Contact: Kim Ward: ‪(734) 224-8377, kward@msu.edu Images Why this matters: Scientists use satellite images of light given off by plants — called solar-induced fluorescence, or SIF — to check how healthy the Amazon forest is. SIF is often used to estimate how much photosynthesis is happening. But this study shows that SIF may not be a reliable predictor of photosynthesis functionality. When the climate ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

Vasodilation in systemic sclerosis

Most VVD in clinical trials have been shown to exert anti-fibrotic effects – but findings are mixed around whether they also improve pulmonary function tests and prevent progression of SSc-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). A post-hoc analysis presented by Adela-Cristina Sarbu aimed to address this by assessing the impact of VVD on functional progression and all-cause mortality in people with SSc-ILD. Using data from the EUSTAR database, they looked at three different outcomes for 2,156 people receiving endothelin-receptor antagonists (ERA), phosphodiesterase-5 ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

New ideas in gout management

Gout flares are associated with cardiovascular events. Treating gout to target serum urate level prevents flares, but whether such treatment can also prevent cardiovascular events is unknown. An abstract from Edoardo Cipolletta and colleagues explored whether achieving serum urate levels of less than 360 μmol/L within 1 year of the first prescription of urate-lowering therapy has an effect on the 5-year risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). The authors used English and Swedish primary-care data linked to hospitalisation and mortality records for over 116,000 patients. Overall, 16,201 patients had a MACE ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

Risk factors for progression in spondyloarthritis

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic musculoskeletal disease that predominantly affects the axial skeleton.1 axSpA is an umbrella term that comprises the whole spectrum of patients with and without radiographic sacroiliitis, and joint ASAS/EULAR recommendations were published in 2022.2 Radiographic sacroiliitis classifies patients as radiographic axSpA (r-axSpA) and those patients are at risk of spinal ankyloses. High disease activity has previously been linked to accelerated radiographic spinal progression in patients with early axSpA,3 but more information is needed. Work presented at the 2025 annual ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

Nurses: A critical role for people with RMD

New studies shared at the 2025 annual EULAR congress in Barcelona reinforce that position, highlighting the benefits that nurse-led care can bring for both patients and healthcare systems. Nurse-led care and self-monitoring can both support treat-to-target (T2T) approaches.2,3 Combining self-monitoring with nurse support during the initiation of urate-lowering therapy in people with gout could help reduce physician visits and costs while maintaining or improving quality of care. Work shared by Jeffrey van der Ven looked at estimating the cost-effectiveness ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

First data from the EULAR RheumaFacts project

New work presented at the 2025 congress of EULAR – The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology – in Barcelona described RMD health-related indicators from all EULAR member countries, collected as part of the RheumaFacts project – a study identifying potential inequities between countries. Data were collected on a diverse range of topics, including access to reimbursed physiotherapy and psychological care, the possibility for patients to self-refer to rheumatologists in the public sector, the number of rheumatology departments and rheumatologists, and treatment availability. So far, 31 countries have submitted data. The ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

Volume and intensity of walking and risk of chronic low back pain

About The Study: In this cohort study, daily walking volume and walking intensity were inversely associated with the risk of chronic low back pain. The findings suggest that walking volume may have a more pronounced benefit than walking intensity. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Rayane Haddadj, MS, email rayane.haddadj@ntnu.no. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.15592) Editor’s Note: Please see ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

BGI Genomics successfully concludes first Southeast Asia training workshop

BGI Genomics has successfully wrapped up its inaugural Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) Interpretation of Genetic Diseases Training Workshop for Southeast Asia, marking a significant milestone in international genomics education. Held at the BGI Center in late May, the workshop brought together emerging healthcare professionals and researchers from Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam for a week of intensive, hands-on learning. Comprehensive Learning Curriculum The program aimed to improve genetic disease diagnosis in Southeast Asia. It offered both theoretical lessons and hands-on ...

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Science13 Jun 2025

Scientists extend facial expression analysis system to include bonobos

Researchers have successfully adapted a standardized system for analyzing facial expressions to include bonobos, our closest living relatives alongside chimpanzees. The study, led by an international team of scientists from multiple institutions including Leipzig University and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, extends the Chimpanzee Facial Action Coding System (ChimpFACS) to another species closely related to humans and chimpanzees, bonobos. The research confirms that bonobos possess a repertoire of 28 distinct facial movements, including ...

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