Science
press releases.

Science20 May 2025

Pulmonary embolism in children more common than previously thought

EMBARGOED UNTIL: 2:15 p.m. PT, May 20, 2025 PULMONARY EMBOLISM IN CHILDREN MORE COMMON THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT Session: C98 — Palace of Fine Arts: Innovative Therapeutic Approaches and Survival Prediction in Pulmonary Hypertension High Frequency of Pulmonary Embolism in Symptomatic Children in the Emergency Department Date and Time: Tuesday, May 20, 2:15 p.m. PT Location: Room 2001 (West Building, Level 2, Moscone Center) ATS 2025, San Francisco – Pulmonary embolism in children has been acknowledged ...

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Science20 May 2025

Study identifies new mechanism for reducing female post-operative pain

TUCSON, Arizona — University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers identified a potential way to reduce female post-operative pain by inhibiting pituitary prolactin generated by pre-operative stress. The paper, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, could lead to ways to reduce post-operative pain and decrease the need for opioids for pain relief after surgical procedures in women. Prolactin, naturally found at higher levels in females than in males, is a neurohormone best known for assisting mammary gland development and stimulating milk production. Recent research led by Frank Porreca, ...

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Science20 May 2025

Research team homes in on genetics behind blackberry thorns

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Researchers have discovered the genetic region responsible for blackberries’ deploying of a type of pointy self-protection: thorns. They can scratch pickers and damage fruit, making thornless blackberry varieties the preferred option in the U.S. market. Now, a team of researchers has pinpointed the genetic location behind them, paving the way for plant breeders to speed up development of thornless varieties. Margaret Worthington, associate professor of fruit breeding and genetics for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research ...

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Science20 May 2025

UF water researchers develop prediction system for harmful algae

The slimy algae topping Florida’s waterways are more than just unsightly. They are often toxic to humans, animals and the environment. To mitigate those risks, University of Florida researchers are collaborating with North Carolina State University and University of South Florida scientists on a next-day prediction model to warn and inform water managers about harmful algal blooms. The research is funded by two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers grants for two phases, totaling $4.4 million. The project is led by David Kaplan, Ph.D., a professor with the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and ...

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Science20 May 2025

Remotely moving objects underwater using sound #ASA188

NEW ORLEANS, May 20, 2025 – Sound can do more than just provide a nice beat. Sound waves have been used for everything from mapping the seafloor to breaking apart kidney stones. Thanks to a unique material structure, researchers can now move and position objects underwater without ever touching them directly. Dajun Zhang, a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will present his work on developing a metamaterial for underwater acoustic manipulation Tuesday, May 20, at 3:20 p.m. CT as part of the joint 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and 25th International Congress on Acoustics, running May 18-23. A ...

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Science20 May 2025

Reducing underwater noise when installing subsea structures #ASA188

NEW ORLEANS, May 20, 2025 – Offshore wind farms have the potential for large impacts on clean energy generation, as wind speeds are higher at sea than on land. However, this benefit comes at a high cost for marine life, which can suffer greatly during the installation of offshore wind foundations. Junfei Li, from Purdue University, will present work on mitigating the noise pollution during monopile offshore wind farm installation Tuesday, May 20, at 1:00 p.m. CT as part of the joint 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society ...

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Science20 May 2025

How membranes may have brought about the chemistry of life on earth

How life arose remains a looming question in science that researchers are seeking to answer by studying the features shared among life today. Everything alive is made up of cells, and what made the first cells different from chemical reactions occurring in the environment is a membrane. By investigating what properties these early membranes may have had, scientists can better understand how life began and evolved into the diversity of organisms we have today. An important feature of membranes is what they allow to pass through ...

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Science20 May 2025

Fluridone widens Palmer pigweed control options for rice growers, but stick to the label

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A word of caution to rice growers: the herbicide fluridone has become a valuable tool in fighting Palmer pigweed, but it can cause injury to some rice cultivars, depending on when it is used. Registered under the trade name Brake by SePRO Corporation, fluridone is a residual herbicide used to suppress grasses and broadleaf weeds before they emerge, also known as a preemergence herbicide. In 2023, fluridone was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use in rice at the three-leaf stage and onward. It had already ...

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Science20 May 2025

Christopher Kane appointed President of American Board of Urology

Christopher Kane, MD, CEO of the UC San Diego Health Physician Group and senior assistant vice chancellor of clinical affairs for UC San Diego Health Sciences, was recently appointed to the position of president of the American Board of Urology (ABU), the organization that sets and maintains the standards for the specialty certification of more than 11,000 urologists in the United States. Kane is the first physician from UC San Diego Health to serve in this leadership role with the ABU. He has served as a trustee for the organization for five years and became eligible for the presidency in the final year of his six-year tenure. The organization’s mission ...

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Science20 May 2025

Native turtles return to Yosemite after removal of invasive bullfrogs

The call of American bullfrogs was deafening when scientists from the University of California, Davis, first began researching the impact of invasive bullfrogs on native northwestern pond turtles at Yosemite National Park. “At night, you could look out over the pond and see a constellation of eyes blinking back at you,” said UC Davis Ph.D. candidate Sidney Woodruff, lead author of a study chronicling the effects of removal. “Their honking noise is iconic, and it drowns out native species’ calls.” But the ponds of Yosemite sound different today, with a chorus of native species making themselves heard. The researchers’ study, published ...

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Science20 May 2025

Post-intensive care syndrome linked to long-term deficits

EMBARGOED UNTIL: 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, May 20, 2025 POST-INTENSIVE CARE SYNDROME LINKED TO LONG-TERM DEFICITS Older age, frailty increase risk more than clinical factors, study finds Session: C17—Delirium, Disparities, and Disability: Advancing Equity in Critical Illness Outcomes Characterizing Critical Illness Recovery Trajectories: Exploring Risk Factors for Post Intensive Care Syndrome Date and Time: Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 9:15 a.m. Location: Room 2009/2011 (West Building, Level 2), Moscone Center ATS 2025, ...

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Science20 May 2025

ICU delirium tests misclassify Spanish-speakers

EMBARGOED UNTIL: 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, May 20, 2025 Session: C17 - Delirium, Disparities, and Disability: Advancing Equity in Critical Illness Outcomes Achieving Health Equity in Delirium Detection in Spanish-speaking Latinx ICU Patients Date and Time: Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 9:15 a.m. PT Location: Room 2009/2011 (West Building, Level 2), Moscone Center ATS 2025, San Francisco – Delirium is common in the ICU, and guidelines call for daily screening. Now a new study published at the ATS 2025 International Conference suggests that standard screening tests may result in the ...

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Science20 May 2025

Terrence Sejnowski elected to the Royal Society and the American Philosophical Society

LA JOLLA (May 20, 2025)—Salk Professor Terrence Sejnowski, head of the Computational Neurobiology Laboratory and holder of the Francis Crick Chair, has been elected to the Royal Society and the American Philosophical Society. These prestigious elections recognize his outstanding leadership and extraordinary achievement in computational neuroscience. Sejnowski is one of the newest Foreign Members of the Royal Society, an independent scientific academy in the United Kingdom dedicated to promoting excellence in science for the benefit of humanity. Founded in 1660, the Royal Society is the world’s oldest scientific academy ...

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Science20 May 2025

Fine-tuned LLMs boost error detection in radiology reports

OAK BROOK, Ill. – A type of artificial intelligence called fine-tuned large language models (LLMs) greatly enhances error detection in radiology reports, according to a new study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Researchers said the findings point to an important role for this technology in medical proofreading. Radiology reports are crucial for optimal patient care. Their accuracy can be compromised by factors like errors in speech recognition software, variability ...

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Science20 May 2025

The hidden drivers of aging: microbial influence on genomic stability and telomere dynamics

Aging is a multifaceted process driven by interconnected biological mechanisms, among which genomic instability and telomere attrition stand as primary hallmarks. Emerging research underscores the pivotal role of the human microbiome in modulating these processes, offering novel insights into aging and age-related diseases. This review synthesizes current evidence on how microbial dysbiosis accelerates aging by disrupting genomic integrity and telomere dynamics, while also exploring therapeutic strategies to promote healthy ...

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Science20 May 2025

‘Sharkitecture:’ A nanoscale look inside a blacktip shark’s skeleton

Sharks have been evolving for more than 450 million years, developing skeletons not from bone, but from a tough, mineralized form of cartilage. These creatures are more than just fast swimmers – they’re built for efficiency. Their spines act like natural springs, storing and releasing energy with each tailbeat, allowing them to move through the water with smooth, powerful grace. Now, scientists are peering inside shark skeletons at the nanoscale, revealing a microscopic “sharkitecture” that helps these ancient apex predators withstand extreme physical demands of constant motion. Using synchrotron X-ray nanotomography with detailed ...

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Science20 May 2025

Public opinion on who should do content moderation

Americans perceive small juries of content experts as the most legitimate moderators of potentially misleading content on social media, according to a survey, but perceive large, nationally representative or politically balanced juries with minimum knowledge qualifications as comparably legitimate. Social media content moderation policies tend to attract criticism, with some calling for more aggressive removal of harmful and misleading content and others decrying moderation as censorship and accusing expert moderators of being politically biased. Less clear is what the general public would like to see in terms of content ...

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Science20 May 2025

St. Jude scientist Charles Mullighan elected to the Royal Society of London

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital leukemia researcher Charles G. Mullighan, MBBS (Hons), MSc, MD, senior deputy director of the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence. Mullighan was selected to join the Royal Society for his trailblazing contributions to genomic research, which have advanced the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of acute leukemia, notably childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia ...

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Science20 May 2025

Mask users can now breathe easy on two counts

Tokyo, Japan—The COVID-19 pandemic increased public awareness of the importance of mask use for personal protection. However, when the mesh size of mask fabrics is small enough to capture viruses, which are usually around one hundred nanometers in size, the fabric typically also restricts air flow, resulting in user discomfort. But now, researchers from Japan have found a way to avoid this. In a study published this month in Materials Advances, researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have overcome this bottleneck and developed a filter capable of capturing nanoparticles such ...

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Science20 May 2025

The RESIL-Card project is piloting its resilience assessment tool across Europe.

Paris, France, 19 May 2025 - The RESIL-Card project, co-funded by the EU4Health Work Programme, has reached a significant milestone with the recent launch of the pilot testing of its resilience assessment tool in selected European countries. This phase is part of the three-year project - led by We CARE, in partnership with GISE, Amsterdam UMC, and CatSalut - which aims to improve the preparedness and continuity of cardiovascular care during crises. As the first half of the project draws to a close, the first work package (WP1), which focused on conceptualising the resilience assessment tool, ...

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Science20 May 2025

Researchers identify molecular brake that regulates synaptic maturation

Leuven, 20 May 2025 - Researchers from the lab led by Prof. Joris De Wit (VIB-KU Leuven) have discovered an important clue to how connections between brain cells, known as synapses, mature. These new findings, published in Developmental Cell, demonstrated how two different proteins, GPR158 and PLCXD2, interact to form a specific component in developing synapses – the spine apparatus. Synapses – the communication points between neurons – are not only molecularly diverse but also contain specialized organelles, tiny internal cellular machines, that finetune their function. The spine apparatus is one such organelle, and it is essential for stabilizing mature ...

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Science20 May 2025

Vaping increases dependency more than nicotine gum

A new paper in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, published by Oxford University Press, finds that today’s pod-style electronic cigarette devices are more addictive than nicotine gum, indicating that such devices have a very high potential for abuse. Since entering the market in 2003, electronic cigarettes have become very popular in the United States, particularly among youth and young adults. A significant proportion of people who use electronic cigarettes devices never used other tobacco products regularly. Over 30% of adult users of vaping devices report no history of regular cigarette smoking, a rate ...

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Science20 May 2025

Majority of youth overdose deaths from 2018 to 2022 were driven by fentanyl alone

(New York, NY) Fatal drug overdoses among youth aged 15 to 24 in the United States involving synthetic opioids alone—not mixed with other substances—soared by 168 percent over the five-year time period of 2018 to 2022, a new study shows. Published online May 20 in the journal Pediatrics, the work also found that youth overdose rates and drug combinations varied significantly across age, sex and race/ethnicity. Led by NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the new study is the first, say investigators, to identify which specific combinations of drugs drove synthetic opioid-involved ...

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Science20 May 2025

Reducing wait times for hip and knee replacement surgeries

How can we reduce wait times for much needed hip and knee replacement surgery in Canada? Coordinated referral and team-based care models show promise, according to research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241755. In Canada, there are long wait times for scheduled surgeries, such as hip and knee joint replacements, which can lead to worsening pain and mobility problems and affect overall health. Canada falls well behind in international comparisons of health systems based on wait times. To address this issue, some Canadian provinces have been experimenting with private for-profit delivery of some surgeries, ...

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Science20 May 2025

Scientists discover NELL2’s dual role: boosting bone formation while curbing fat accumulation

A recent study identifies Neural EGFL-like 2 (NELL2), a secreted protein, as a key regulator of bone homeostasis, offering potential therapeutic applications for osteoporosis. NELL2 promotes osteoblast differentiation and inhibits adipocyte formation in bone marrow stromal cells, addressing the bone remodeling imbalance in osteoporosis. The study further uncovers the molecular mechanism of NELL2’s action, revealing its activation of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/AKT signaling pathway through interactions with Fibronectin 1 and integrins. NELL2's administration via adeno-associated virus (AAV) significantly improved bone density in osteoporotic ...

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