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press releases.

Science5 Mar 2025

Prehistoric bone tool ‘factory’ hints at early development of abstract reasoning in human ancestors

UCL Press Release Under embargo until Wednesday 5 March 2025, 16:00 UK time / 11:00 US Eastern time Prehistoric bone tool ‘factory’ hints at early development of abstract reasoning in human ancestors The oldest collection of mass-produced prehistoric bone tools reveal that human ancestors were likely capable of more advanced abstract reasoning one million years earlier than thought, finds a new study involving researchers at UCL and CSIC- Spanish National Research Council. The paper, published in Nature, describes a collection of 27 now-fossilised bones that had been shaped into hand tools 1.5 million years ago by human ancestors. It’s ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Study: Vaping does not help US tobacco smokers quit

Researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and Moores Cancer Center at University of California San Diego have found that, among smokers in the United States, e-cigarette use does not increase smoking cessation and is actually associated with reduced tobacco abstinence. The findings, published March 5 in JAMA, refute the notion that e-cigarettes can help people quit, a common misperception among tobacco users and e-cigarette proponents. “Most smokers think vaping will help you quit ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Insect populations are declining — and that is not a good thing

Insect populations, foundational to food chains and pollination, have dramatically declined over the past 20 years due to rapid climate change Scientists identify two ways fly species from different climates (high-altitude forest and hot desert) have adapted to temperature Paper provides evidence that changes in brain wiring and heat sensitivity contributed to shifting preference to hot or cold conditions, respectively Results may help predict the impact of ongoing climate change on insect distribution and behavior EVANSTON, Ill. --- Tiny, cold-blooded animals like flies depend on their environment to regulate body temperature, ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Scientists discover genes to grow bigger tomatoes and eggplants

Bigger, tastier tomatoes and eggplants could soon grace our dinner plates thanks to Johns Hopkins scientists who have discovered genes that control how large the fruits will grow. The research—led by teams at Johns Hopkins University and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory—could lead to the development of new varieties of heirloom tomatoes and eggplants, including those that help support agriculture in areas around the world where local varieties are currently too small for large-scale production. Findings were published in the journal Nature. “Once ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Trajectories of sleep duration, sleep onset timing, and continuous glucose monitoring in adults

About The Study: In this cohort study of middle-aged and older participants, persistent inadequate sleep duration and late sleep onset, whether alone or in combination, were associated with greater glycemic variability. These findings emphasize the importance of considering both sleep duration and timing for optimizing glycemic control in the general population. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Ju-Sheng Zheng, PhD, (zhengjusheng@westlake.edu.cn) and Yu-ming Chen, PhD, (chenyum@mail.sysu.edu.cn). To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Jerome Morris voted AERA President-Elect; key members elected to AERA Council

Jerome E. Morris, the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor of Urban Education at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, has been voted president-elect of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Morris joins the AERA Council in 2025–2026 as president-elect, and his presidency begins at the conclusion of the association’s 2026 Annual Meeting. Morris leverages his upbringing in public housing and attending predominantly Black public schools in Birmingham, Alabama, to inform his research, which examines the intersection of ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Unveiling the mechanism of maintenance of replication and transcription in mitochondria

Mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mtDNA) is essential for cellular energy production and overall cell function. Abnormalities in mtDNA are linked to various diseases and are also implicated in aging. Understanding the process of replication and transcription of mtDNA is crucial for improving our knowledge of human health, disease, and aging. However, the mechanisms that regulate the balance between transcription and replication of mtDNA remain unclear. To unveil the mechanisms, a team of researchers ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

For some, childhood adversity can promote resilience to anxiety disorders

New Haven, Conn. — Research has shown that young people who face adversity such as traumatic or stressful events during brain development are 40% more likely to develop anxiety disorders by adulthood. But most people who endure these experiences during childhood and adolescence prove to be resilient to these mental health effects. A new Yale study finds that when this adversity occurs during brain development may affect how susceptible people are to anxiety and other psychiatric problems as adults. According to the study, published March 5 in the journal Communications Psychology, ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Cloud–radiation feedbacks found to be key to the diverse tropical pacific warming projections

New research has uncovered why different climate models offer varying projections of sea surface temperature (SST) changes in the tropical Pacific, a region critical for global climate patterns. The study, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences on March 5, identifies cloud–radiation feedback as the dominant source behind these differences. Reliable projections of the tropical Pacific SST warming (TPSW) pattern are crucial for understanding how global climate will change in a warming world. While the latest climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Review supports introducing small amounts of food allergens during early childhood

A review in Clinical & Experimental Allergy concludes that exposing young children to small amounts of foods that they’re allergic to is safer than avoiding the foods altogether, which could be very dangerous if accidental exposure occurs. The review notes that exposing preschool-aged children to small amounts of food allergens—called oral immunotherapy—can lessen the severity of a reaction following an accidental exposure. Also, delaying exposure until a later age misses the window ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

How are human activities affecting sea otters?

Because of their high metabolic rates, sea otters are especially vulnerable to disturbances that can increase their energy needs. New research in The Journal of Wildlife Management reveals how human activities affect the behavior and energy expenditure of southern sea otters. By studying southern sea otters over 5 years at 3 sites along the coast of California, investigators found evidence that on average, the likelihood of a group of sea otters being disturbed (which affects their ability to rest) is less than 10% when stimuli such as small craft are more than 29 meters away, although this threshold varies by location, group size, ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

How one researcher equipped with a smartphone is creating detailed reports on the insides of stranded sea creatures

What inspired you to become a researcher? My interest in research began with an early love for nature, particularly the ocean and its wildlife. Drawn to conservation, I am fascinated by how technology can help study and protect marine mammals. Can you tell us about the research you’re currently working on? This research focuses on using accessible 3D scanning technologies, like LiDAR-equipped mobile devices and UAV photogrammetry, to document and analyze stranded marine mammals. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing technology that uses laser pulses to determine the ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Iconic Australian bird reveals hidden farming talent

A beloved Australian bird best known for its stunning tail and powers of mimicry may have a cunning hidden talent. New research has revealed the superb lyrebird to be a resourceful farmer, creating micro-habitats to host and fatten its prey before returning later to feast. Scientists from La Trobe University observed the ground-dwelling birds working to create habitats suitable for their diet of worms, centipedes and spiders. In a new paper published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, the researchers found that lyrebirds arranged litter and soil on the forest floor in ways that promote more ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Cracking the code on gypsum and silica scaling in water desalination

Mineral scaling, a significant issue in membrane desalination, reduces water recovery rates and diminishes system performance. Gypsum and silica, are two prevalent types of scaling, each form through different processes—crystallization for gypsum and polymerization for silica. These formation mechanisms lead to contrasting behaviors: gypsum scaling, marked by rapid kinetics and intrusive crystal growth, causes pore wetting, while silica scaling forms highly adhesive, irreversible layers. The impact of these scales on desalination efficiency underscores the need for a deeper understanding of their formation and mitigation. On October 20, ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Creativity boosts NAPLAN literacy and numeracy scores

When ‘Elephant’ toothpaste erupts from the science lab, history deals up Pokémon playing cards, and maths bakes a batch of chocolate brownies, it might seem like chaos. Yet, a groundbreaking study from University of South Australia researchers, shows that creativity plays an essential role in academic success, suggesting that students who think outside the box are more likely to excel in literacy and numeracy assessments. It’s an important finding, particularly when the most recent National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) data shows that one in three Australian students are behind in their numeracy ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Amphibians bounce-back from Earth’s greatest mass extinction

Ancient frog relatives survived the aftermath of the largest mass extinction of species by feeding on freshwater prey that evaded terrestrial predators, University of Bristol academics have found. In the study, published today in the journal Royal Society Open Science, their findings suggest the amphibians’ success lay in their generalist feeding ecology, enabling them to feed on a wide variety of prey despite the array of environmental changes happening all around them through the Triassic. Broader examination of Triassic ecosystems also indicates that the freshwater habitats they preferred provided them with a relatively stable variety of food resources, allowing them ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Better semen quality is linked to men living longer

Men’s semen quality is associated with how long they live according to a study of nearly 80,000 men, which is published today (Wednesday) in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. The study followed the men for up to 50 years and found that those with a total number of motile sperm (sperm that can move or ‘swim’) of more than 120 million could expect to live two to three years longer than men with a total motile sperm count of between 0 and 5 million. This is the largest study to examine the link between semen quality and mortality. An accompanying editorial ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Enhancing mosquito repellent effectiveness

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- In a recent study, researcher Anandasankar Ray at the University of California, Riverside, and his team employed machine learning techniques combined with cheminformatics to predict novel mosquito repellents that could greatly improve global mosquito control efforts. Using the same approach to combat the global threat of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue, Ray, the recipient of a $2.5 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, will now work on identifying novel spatial mosquito repellents ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Resistance exercise may be best type for tackling insomnia in older age

Resistance or muscle strengthening exercise, using weights or the body itself, may be the best type of exercise for tackling insomnia in older age, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available research, published in the open access journal Family Medicine and Community Health. Aerobic exercise or a mix of strength, aerobic, balance, and flexibility exercises also seem to be effective, the analysis indicates. Sleep quality tends to decline with age. And up to 1 in five older adults has insomnia, ...

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Science5 Mar 2025

Global 130%+ rise in postmenopausal osteoarthritis and associated disability over past 3 decades

The global number of cases of osteoarthritis, as well the disability associated with the condition, have risen by more than 130% over the past 3 decades among women who have gone through the menopause, indicates a data analysis spanning 1990 to 2021, and published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health. During this period, East Asia and high income Asia Pacific countries experienced the fastest growth in the condition while excess weight accounted for 20% of the total years lived with the resulting disability, the analysis indicates. Osteoarthritis is primarily characterised by the deterioration and damage ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Consumers value domestic vanilla -- when informed, research shows

UF/IFAS researchers are investigating the economic potential of growing vanilla in Florida with the aim of establishing an alternative – and potentially lucrative – crop to oranges. “With citrus in decline, we’re searching for crops that can generate profits for producers,” said Jaclyn Kropp, a professor in the food and resource economics department. “Vanilla is a high-value crop, so there’s immense revenue potential.” No large-scale, commercial production ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Are higher doses of folic acid in pregnancy safe?

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2025 Media Contacts: Renee Tessman, rtessman@aan.com, (612) 928-6137 Natalie Conrad, nconrad@aan.com, (612) 928-6164 Are higher doses of folic acid in pregnancy safe? MINNEAPOLIS – Taking a higher dose of folic acid during the first trimester of pregnancy was safe and associated with improved verbal abilities in children at age six as well as improved behavior skills, according to a preliminary study released today, March 4, 2025, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 77th Annual Meeting taking ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Researchers discover a cause of leptin resistance—and how to reverse it

Worldwide obesity rates have more than doubled since 1990, with nearly a billion people now falling into the category. Though a complex interplay of genes, diet, and environment contribute, 90% of cases share one thing in common: leptin resistance. In lean individuals, fat cells produce the hormone leptin, which suppresses appetite. But in most individuals with obesity, this signal fails to register. Why this happens has been a mystery for more than three decades, ever since Jeffrey M. Friedman’s laboratory at the Rockefeller University cloned the leptin gene in 1994. But now Bowen Tan, Kristina Hedbacker, ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Postoperative aspiration pneumonia among adults using GLP-1 receptor agonists

About The Study: This cohort study found no significant association between the preoperative use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and short-term postoperative aspiration pneumonia despite growing concerns about the adverse effects of these medications after surgery. This finding suggests that it may be beneficial to reassess the preoperative withholding guidelines for GLP-1 RAs. Corresponding author: To contact the corresponding author, Eric L. Smith, M.D., email esmith@nebh.org. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0081) Editor’s ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

E. (Sarah) Du, Ph.D., named Senior Member, National Academy of Inventors

E. (Sarah) Du, Ph.D., an associate professor in College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University, has been selected as a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) for her significant contributions to innovation and invention. The NAI is a member organization comprising United States and international universities, government agencies, and nonprofit research institutes. The NAI was founded to recognize and encourage inventors with U.S. patents, enhance the visibility of academic ...

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