Science
press releases.

Science28 Apr 2025

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. announces winners of RFS Awards in Science 2024

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. proudly announces the recipients of the RFS Awards in Science 2024, recognizing outstanding peer-reviewed research by women and underrepresented minorities in STEM. To view the full list of winners, click here. The RFS Awards in Science 2024 honor the best papers written in 2024 by a woman or underrepresented minority in science across Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.’s portfolio of peer-reviewed journals. The awards highlight the critical contributions of these researchers and reinforce the company’s commitment to amplifying diverse voices in scientific discovery. Each ...

Read the release

Science28 Apr 2025

Extreme monsoon changes threaten the Bay of Bengal's role as a critical food source

New research involving Rutgers professors has revealed that expected, extreme changes in India’s summer monsoon could drastically hamper the Bay of Bengal’s ability to support a crucial element of the region’s food supply: marine life. The study, published in Nature Geoscience, was conducted by scientists from Rutgers University, the University of Arizona and collaborators from India, China and Europe. To reach their conclusions, the scientists examined how the monsoon, which brings heavy rains to the Indian subcontinent, has influenced the Bay of ...

Read the release

Science28 Apr 2025

Elucidating the double duty of sleep in memory processing

Memory formation, storage, and retrieval are fundamental processes that define who we are and how we interact with the world. At the cellular level, these processes rely on specialized neurons called engram cells—neuronal populations that physically encode our experiences and allow us to recall them later. Over the past few decades, scientists have made significant progress in identifying these neuronal ensembles and understanding some aspects of memory allocation. Although sleep is widely known to be essential for memory processing and consolidation, many of its underlying mechanisms and functions are unclear. Traditional views have largely focused on sleep as a backward-looking ...

Read the release

Science28 Apr 2025

Many paths to an angry bird

“Get off my lawn!” Funny as a meme but maybe scary in real life, this short sentence is synonymous with an elderly man shouting at kids whose bikes have gotten too close to a well-manicured front yard. But it could just as well represent a female bird, aggressively chasing whatever intruder gets too close to her nest. Not any female bird, though. An international team of researchers led by Sara Lipshutz, assistant professor of Biology at Duke University, found that female birds who can only nest in cavities are far more aggressive than those who don’t have this restriction on their nesting real estate. Called ...

Read the release

Science28 Apr 2025

Every dose counts: Safeguarding the success of vaccination in Europe

Marking European Immunization Week (EIW) 2025, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) highlights the risks of suboptimal vaccination coverage in Europe and publishes a set of operational tools that public health authorities can use to improve vaccination acceptance and uptake. The tenfold surge of reported measles cases in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the detection of vaccine-derived poliovirus in four EU/EEA countries in 2024 are two clear signals of the need to achieve and maintain high immunisation coverage to protect European populations. Vaccines ...

Read the release

Science28 Apr 2025

Global study links consumption of ultraprocessed foods to preventable premature deaths

Ann Arbor, April 28, 2025 - A study analyzing data from nationally representative dietary surveys and mortality data from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, and United States) shows that premature deaths attributable to consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) increase significantly according to their share in individuals’ total energy intake. The new study, appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, reinforces the call for global action to reduce UPF consumption, supported by regulatory and fiscal policies that foster healthier environments. UPFs are ready-to-eat-or-heat ...

Read the release

Science27 Apr 2025

Effect of coupled wing motion on the aerodynamic performance during different flight stages of pigeon

A research paper by scientists at Beijing Institute of Technology presented a CFD simulation method based on biological experimental data to analyze the aerodynamic performance of pigeons during takeoff, leveling flight, and landing in free flight. The research paper, published on Mar. 11, 2025 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems. Birds achieve remarkable maneuverability in takeoff, steady flight, and landing by continuously and adaptively morphing their wing shape, yet existing bio-inspired flapping-wing ...

Read the release

Science25 Apr 2025

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

As the opioid crisis continues, the number of babies born with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) – a condition that affects infants whose mothers used opioids during pregnancy – has risen 5-fold over the past 20 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are 20,000 infants a year in the United States born with signs of NOWS. These infants often require extended hospital stays and, in some cases, treatment with medications like morphine to relieve withdrawal symptoms. A new study from Walter Kraft, MD, an internist and clinical pharmacologist at Thomas Jefferson University, ...

Read the release

Science25 Apr 2025

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

Leadership from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Volkswagen Group of America and Oak Ridge National Laboratory celebrated more than a decade of collaboration and the fifth anniversary of the Volkswagen Innovation Hub Knoxville on April 24. Since 2011, UT and Volkswagen have partnered on strategic research projects that have accelerated the discovery and commercialization of new technology, including battery performance, materials science, power electronics and mobility ...

Read the release

Science25 Apr 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

BOSTON, April 25, 2025 – Numerous studies conducted by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report progress for cancers including head and neck cancer, metastatic breast cancer and lung cancer. The results of these studies, along with dozens of others led by Dana-Farber faculty, will be presented at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting held April 25-30, 2025, in Chicago. The institute’s leading experts and researchers will present findings across a spectrum of diseases, underscoring ...

Read the release

Science25 Apr 2025

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

LOS ANGELES — It’s no secret that our waistlines often expand in middle-age, but the problem isn’t strictly cosmetic. Belly fat accelerates aging and slows down metabolism, increasing our risk for developing diabetes, heart problems and other chronic diseases. Exactly how age transforms a six pack into a softer stomach, however, is murky. Now preclinical research by City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States and a leading research center for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses, has uncovered the cellular culprit behind age-related abdominal fat, providing new insights into why ...

Read the release

Science25 Apr 2025

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Researchers from SYSU and IHEP have developed a unique muon veto detector system for TAO, a satellite experiment of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO). This system features a top veto tracker system with remarkable characteristics such as high light yield, distinct signal-background differentiation and high detection efficiency even at high thresholds, provides the TAO experiment with a robust capability to suppress cosmic muon induced fast neutron and radioisotope events which are significant correlated backgrounds for the neutrino signal. This scalable solution establishes a transferable ...

Read the release

Science25 Apr 2025

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Background and objectives Atypical trigeminal neuralgia (ATN) is a chronic pain condition characterized by persistent facial pain that does not respond well to conventional medical treatments, often leading to significant impairment in quality of life. This study examined the clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing in patients with ATN. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of surgical techniques, clinical data, and treatment outcomes in 40 patients from January 2009 to January 2018. Pain levels ...

Read the release

Science25 Apr 2025

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

Researchers at University of California San Diego found that cigarette smoking continues to decline across the United States, largely driven by young adults. Their study, published in JAMA Network Open on April 25, 2025, reveals that the states with historically high smoking rates have seen the most dramatic declines. However, smoking cessation progress among adults over 50 has been much slower, which could prolong the public health burden of smoking-related diseases and death. “The rapid decline in smoking among young adults is clear evidence that the smoking epidemic will come to an end in our lifetime,” said Matthew ...

Read the release

Science25 Apr 2025

Study: Children with chronic conditions at risk for severe RSV outcomes

Young children with chronic conditions are more likely to be hospitalized for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) than healthy children, according to a new study. The research will be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2025 Meeting, held April 24-28 in Honolulu. Toddlers with chronic conditions are hospitalized for RSV at twice the rate as healthy toddlers over their first two seasons. The risk was highest for children born very prematurely under 28 weeks of gestation, or with conditions affecting multiple organs, the lungs, heart, or digestive system. Researchers recommend that children with those specific conditions ...

Read the release

Science24 Apr 2025

Human pressure most affecting Atlantic Rainforest deer density, study finds

A group of Brazilian researchers has, for the first time in the entire Atlantic Rainforest, estimated the population density of the five deer species of the biome. This allowed them to measure the main factors that influence the number of deer per square kilometer (km²) in forest areas. The results suggest a strong relationship between the low animal densities and human pressures such as hunting, predation by domestic dogs, livestock-borne diseases, and competition with wild boar, an invasive species that consumes the same resources as deer. The study was published in ...

Read the release

Science24 Apr 2025

The effects of smoking, drinking and lack of exercise are felt by the age of 36, new research indicates

Bad habits such as smoking, heavy drinking and lack of exercise must be tackled as early as possible to boost the odds of a happy and healthy old age. That is the message of a new peer-reviewed study, published in the Annals of Medicine (Elevate), that found smoking and other vices are associated with declines in health in people as young as 36. The impact is even greater when these bad habits are indulged in over the long-term, state experts whose study tracked the mental and physical health of hundreds of people for more than 30 years. Previous research has followed people from middle-age, typically for around 20 years. Studies to-date have shown that smoking and other ...

Read the release

Science24 Apr 2025

Prepare today to save lives tomorrow: SFU study finds gaps in B.C. extreme heat response plans

Local authorities must do more to prepare communities in British Columbia for the dangers of extreme heat, according to a new research paper from Simon Fraser University. Four years after the infamous 2021 heat dome, which killed more than 600 people in B.C. alone, the ground-breaking study found significant differences in how municipalities within the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley regional districts are preparing for heat events. While municipalities with larger populations and more financial resources are generally ...

Read the release

Science24 Apr 2025

Tracing the emergence and spread of H5N1 in U.S dairy cattle

The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in U.S. dairy cattle can be traced to a single spillover event from a wild bird, researchers report, raising concern over growing pandemic risks as the virus evolves and leaps between species. HPAI viruses pose serious threats to animal health, agriculture, and potentially human health due to their ability to cross species barriers. A specific strain, H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, has spread globally, infecting wild birds, poultry and, mammals – including a small number of humans – underscoring ...

Read the release

Science24 Apr 2025

Carnivorous “bone collector” caterpillar patrols spiderwebs while adorned in body parts of its insect prey

A rare carnivorous caterpillar, previously unknown to biologists, stalks spiderwebs for food whilst dressed in the remains of its prey, researcher report. This unique new species, dubbed the “bone collector,” is found only on a single mountainside on the Hawai’ian island of Oa’hu. Hawai’i’s geographic isolation has given rise to uniquely adapted invertebrates, including several species of carnivorous caterpillars like the Hawaiian inchworm (Eupithecia spp.). However, the vast majority of Lepidoptera species are herbivorous; predatory caterpillars comprise roughly 0.1% of the nearly 200,000 moth and butterfly species currently known. Here, Daniel Rubinoff ...

Read the release

Science24 Apr 2025

Female bonobos keep males in check—not with strength, but with solidarity

Biologically speaking, female and male bonobos have a weird relationship. First, there’s the sex. It’s the females who decide when and with whom they mate. They easily parry unwanted sexual advances—and the males know better than to force the issue. Second, there’s the food. It’s the females who usually control high-value, sharable resources—a fresh kill, say. They feed while sitting on the ground, unthreatened, while males hover in tree branches waiting for their ...

Read the release

Science24 Apr 2025

Research update: Plant-based calamari that rivals real seafood in texture

Plant-based seafood alternatives should have similar flavors, textures and nutritional content to the foods they mimic. And recreating the properties of fried calamari rings, which have a neutral flavor and a firm, chewy texture after being cooked, has been a challenge. Building off previous research, a team publishing in ACS Food Science & Technology describes successfully using plant-based ingredients to mimic calamari that matches the real seafood’s characteristic softness and elasticity. Previously, Poornima Vijayan, Dejian Huang and colleagues presented ...

Read the release

Science24 Apr 2025

Nature positive: lots of rhetoric, little reality

New research led by Griffith University argues that the term nature positive is being adopted more for political rhetoric and less for any real-life improvement in nature conservation, posing a new risk to biodiversity. The study, published in Nature Portfolio Journal njpBiodiversity explores the tourism sector as an example. The team, led by Emeritus Professor Ralf Buckley with coauthors from universities in Australia, Chile, China and Japan, analysed the fine-scale political processes in the lead-up ...

Read the release

Science23 Apr 2025

Daily doses of peanuts tackle allergic reactions in adults

The first clinical trial to test whether adults allergic to peanuts can be desensitised has shown great success with two thirds of the cohort consuming the equivalent of five peanuts without reacting. The Grown Up Peanut Immunotherapy (GUPI) trial is the first study entirely in adults with severe allergy to test whether daily doses of peanuts taken under strict supervision can be safely tolerated. The approach, known as oral immunotherapy, has seen success in trials in infants and children worldwide. The findings of the ...

Read the release

Science23 Apr 2025

Sun earns UTA's highest research honor

Yuze “Alice” Sun, an electrical engineering professor, has been elected to The University of Texas at Arlington’s Academy of Distinguished Researchers for her contributions to technologies critical to health care, environmental monitoring and national defense. “Dr. Sun is a trailblazer in multidisciplinary research whose transformative advancements have significantly impacted devices we rely on every day to diagnose and treat disease, communicate with others and allow our military ...

Read the release