Science
press releases.

Science4 Mar 2025

Study establishes “ball and chain” mechanism inactivates key mammalian ion channel

A new study has unveiled a precise picture of how an ion channel found in most mammalian cells regulates its own function with a “ball-and-chain” channel-plugging mechanism, according to investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. The findings boost the understanding of ion channel biology and could lead to new drugs that target these channels to treat disorders such as epilepsy and hypertension. Ion channels are protein structures embedded in cell membranes that allow charged molecules to flow into or out of the cell. They support essential biological functions, including signaling or communication between brain cells. The study, published ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Dicamba drift: New use of an old herbicide disrupts pollinators

March 4, 2025 Contact: Morgan Sherburne, 734-647-1844, morganls@umich.edu Images of pollinators and plants ANN ARBOR—An herbicide may "drift" from the agricultural fields where it's sprayed and harm weeds that grow at the edge of the fields, impacting pollinators. A University of Michigan study examined the effects of the herbicide, called dicamba, and found that plants exposed to dicamba drift had a lowered abundance of pollinators, and that pollinator visits to flowers were reduced for some weeds, but not others. The study, led by U-M professor of ecology and evolutionary biology Regina Baucom, ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Mapping consensus locations for offshore wind

Ideal locations and scales for offshore wind installations depend on both physical conditions and social acceptability. Rudolph Santarromana and colleagues conducted a spatial multi-criteria analysis considering both techno-economics and a socio-environmental impacts, including a broad range of possible concerns, including visual, fishing, marine life, and vessel traffic impacts. Fifty-eight percent of plant location alternatives are suitable from the perspective of developers (techno-economic perspective), but just eighteen percent of sites are suitable from the perspective of a broad range of external stakeholders (socio-environmental perspective). ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Study: World’s critical food crops at imminent risk from rising temperatures

Study: World’s critical food crops at imminent risk from rising temperatures Global food security could be notably impacted by a marked decline in crop diversity if temperatures rise by more than 1.5°C, reveals new research. Global warming is already reshaping our daily lives, with storms, floods, wildfires and droughts around the world. As temperatures continue to rise, a third of global food production could be at risk. Now, a new study in Nature Food offers a more precise picture of exactly where and how warming will affect our ability to grow food. Researchers at Aalto ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Giant clone of seaweed in the Baltic Sea

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have discovered that what was previously thought to be a unique seaweed species of bladderwrack for the Baltic Sea is in fact a giant clone of common bladderwrack, perhaps the world's largest clone overall. The discovery has implications for predicting the future of seaweed in a changing ocean. In the brakish waters of the Baltic Sea, bladderwrack is the dominant seaweed species as it is one of the few seaweed species that can tolerate low salinity. The ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Motion capture: In world 1st, M. mobile’s motility apparatus clarified

Mycoplasmas, including bacteria that cause pneumonia in humans, are generally nonmotile, but Mycoplasma mobile, as the species name suggests, has been found in the gills of fish and seems to move by gliding along surfaces. The molecular structure that allows it to do so has for the first time been uncovered by a collaborative research group led by Osaka Metropolitan University Professor Makoto Miyata of the Graduate School of Science. The OMU-led research team has been working since 1997 to clarify M. mobile’s motility mechanisms. ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Can Rhizobium + low P increase the yield of common bean in Ethiopia?

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is a leguminous plant that can form a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia in the soil. Rhizobia convert nitrogen in the atmosphere into ammonia, providing nitrogen nutrition for leguminous plants. However, due to the low effectiveness of rhizobia in the soil, common bean has one of the lowest nitrogen fixation efficiencies among food legumes. Some studies have shown that pre-inoculating common bean seeds with elite rhizobial strains can enhance nitrogen fixation, thereby promoting the plant growth of common bean and increasing the grain yield. As one of the most important food legumes in Ethiopia, the grain yield of common bean is quite low, because of the lack ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Research Security Symposium on March 12

In recent years, with the increasing openness and internationalization of research, the risks of inappropriate exploiting openness of research have become more apparent. With the growing importance of research security, the issue of how to safely promote cutting-edge research and international collaboration while respecting research freedom is becoming more important in many countries. The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) organizes the symposium aiming to create an opportunity to deepen discussion on efforts necessary to protect research freedom. The symposium will consist of ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Researchers develop innovative tool for rapid pathogen detection

Researchers from the Zhang Liye Laboratory have developed a groundbreaking tool that revolutionizes the way researchers design primers for detecting pathogens. This new pipeline, which scans entire genomes to identify the most effective primer sets, could significantly enhance the speed and accuracy of diagnosing infectious diseases. The findings, published on 15 Feb 2025 in Frontiers of Computer Science, address a critical challenge in quantitative PCR (qPCR) primer design. Unlike existing software that requires manual selection of specific genes or regions, this new tool automatically ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

3 Ways to reduce child sexual abuse rates

The sexual abuse of children affects 15 percent of girls and 8 percent of boys worldwide, incurring high public costs and devastating consequences for its survivors. In the United States, at least one in four girls and one in 20 boys experience sexual abuse. A US Preventive Services Task Force report recently concluded there’s not enough evidence that prevention is effective. Now, a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics provides the missing evidence that coordinated, community-wide primary prevention efforts can significantly reduce child sexual abuse rates. The counties in the study that received the educational measures ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

A third of children worldwide forecast to be obese or overweight by 2050

Obesity rates are set to skyrocket, with one in six children and adolescents worldwide forecast to be obese by 2050, according to a new study. But with significant increases predicted within the next five years, the researchers stress urgent action now could turn the tide on the public health crisis. The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and published in The Lancet, found a third of children and adolescents will be overweight (385 million) or obese (360 million) within the next 25 years. The forecast equates ...

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Science4 Mar 2025

Nearly 1 in 5 US college athletes reports abusive supervision by their coaches

Nearly 1 in 5 college athletes reports some form of abusive supervision—defined as sustained hostile verbal and non-verbal behaviours—by their coaches, reveals an analysis of survey responses, involving National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes, and published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. While there is no evidence of vulnerability according to race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender, athletes with disabilities and those participating in team sports seem to be most at risk, the findings indicate. Athletes view their coaches as role models, which makes their interactions susceptible ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

Ideal nitrogen fertilizer rates in Corn Belt have been climbing for decades, Iowa State study shows

AMES, Iowa – The amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed to maximize the profitability of corn production in the Midwest has been increasing by about 1.2% per year for the past three decades, according to new Iowa State University research. The study, published last month in Nature Communications, analyzed data from prior long- and short-term studies by Iowa State and the University of Illinois to calculate the Corn Belt’s steadily rising optimum nitrogen rates, which researchers had thought were static ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

New insights into network power response: Unveiling multi-timescale characteristics

A recent study published in Engineering delves into the power response characteristics of networks when excited by voltage with time-varying amplitude and frequency (TVAF). This research, led by Yingbiao Li and colleagues from various institutions, addresses a crucial gap in understanding the behavior of power systems in the era of increasing power electronic equipment integration. With the growing prominence of renewable energy power generation and grid-connected electronic equipment, the traditional assumptions in power system analysis ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

Research supports move toward better tailoring stroke rehabilitation

WASHINGTON – A new Georgetown University Medical Center study in collaboration with MedStar Health and the National Institutes of Health exploring a new brain imaging technique is bringing stroke experts a step closer to better tailoring rehabilitation. Neurologists often use MRI images of the brain’s white matter to glean information about a person’s ability to recover, but a new imaging technique added to MRI allows clinicians to better see the condition of white matter tracts leading to the limbs, an observation usually only seen after death during an autopsy. “A white matter tract called the corticospinal ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

Sea otters help kelp forests recover — but how fast depends on where they are

When sea otters were reintroduced along the coastlines of islands in Southern California and British Columbia, researchers saw kelp forests return to areas that were destroyed by sea urchins. But how slow or fast they grew back depended on the location — and until now, scientists didn’t understand why. New CU Boulder research found sea otters, an important keystone species, play a vital role in kelp forest recovery, but their level of influence depends on what other species they interact with in salty Pacific Ocean waters. The study, published ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

Scientists discover how a naturally occurring mechanism hampers fertility

A Yale-led research team has uncovered how a naturally occurring biological mechanism found in mammals is able to prevent sperm cells from interacting with an egg, preventing fertilization. The discovery, identified in rodent models, offers a new path for scientific research to help people grappling with infertility issues, while also opening a new line of study for developing contraceptive therapies. The findings appear in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “This will have direct implications ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

New design paradigm boosts reconfigurable intelligent surface efficiency

A recent study published in Engineering introduces an innovative design paradigm for reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), aiming to enhance their design efficiency and versatility. This research, led by a team of scientists from Southeast University and Guangzhou University, offers a fresh approach to address the challenges in RIS design. RISs, enabled by digital coding technology, are crucial for manipulating electromagnetic (EM) waves in real-time. They play a significant role in 5G and 6G research. However, traditional automatic RIS design methods face issues. Most involve extensive numerical simulations ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

Long-term cocaine use may increase impulsivity

Researchers have widely accepted that impulsivity increases the risk of drug addiction, but the evidence to support this belief is mixed. Exploring the relationship between impulsivity and cocaine use in rats, Yihong Yang and colleagues from the National Institute on Drug Abuse found evidence that contradicts the prevailing view that high impulsivity predicts cocaine use. One classification of impulsivity is impulsive choice, which can be studied with risky choice tasks and delay-discounting tasks (DDT). During DDT, impulsive individuals prefer smaller, ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

3D-printed knee implants improves quality and reliability

Customized 3D-printed medical implants are becoming more common, and a new study has taken this technology to the next level. Researchers at Naton Biotechnology have developed the world’s first laser 3D-printed total knee implant, which has received official approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration as an innovative medical device. The study focused on improving the strength and consistency of cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo) alloy implants made using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), a 3D printing process. The team discovered and corrected inconsistencies in the structure of the material ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

UC San Diego innovators to spotlight transformative science at SXSW 2025

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals — a renowned convergence of pioneers, storytellers, and global visionaries — will take place this year from March 7-15 in Austin, Texas, bringing together a vibrant mix of ideas and innovations. Once again, UC San Diego will take center stage, showcasing cutting-edge research, transformative discussions on critical global challenges and a film premiere. “UC San Diego’s participation in the 2025 South by Southwest Conference and Festivals reinforces our institution’s passion for interdisciplinary ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

Burning question: How to save an old-growth forest in Tahoe

On the shores of Lake Tahoe at Emerald Bay State Park grows what some consider to be the most iconic old-growth forest in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Giant ponderosa pines — some of the last remaining in the area — share space with at least 13 other tree species. Yet despite its high conservation value and proximity to severely burned forests, the Emerald Point stand has not been managed to reduce its risk to drought or catastrophic wildfire. The fire-adapted forest has also not experienced fire for at least 120 years. This has led to massive increases in forest density, fuels, and insect- and drought-driven mortality. A fire ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

Dental implants still functional after forty years

Dental implants used to replace single teeth continue to function well after several decades, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. After nearly forty years, all examined implants were still in place and fully functional. The study is the longest follow-up study of single dental implants in the world and is based on a follow-up of a small group of patients who received single implants to replace missing teeth between 1982 and 1985. The implants are a result of research conducted by Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

A hot droplet can bounce across a cool pan, too

When a droplet of water falls on a hot pan, it dances across the surface, skimming on a thin layer of steam like a tiny hovercraft; this is known as the Leidenfrost effect. But now, researchers know what happens when a hot droplet falls on a cool surface. These new findings, publishing in the Cell Press journal Newton on March 3, demonstrate that hot and burning droplets can bounce off cool surfaces, propelled by a thin layer of air that forms beneath them. This phenomenon could inspire new strategies for slowing the spread of fires and improving engine efficiency. "We started with a very fundamental question: What will happen ...

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Science3 Mar 2025

New mouse study: How to trick the body's metabolism

Many people who have tried to lose weight by cutting calories are familiar with this frustrating reality: at some point, the body stops shedding pounds. It senses the reduced calorie intake and responds by slowing down metabolism, causing it to burn fewer calories than before the diet. This happens because the body perceives a potential starvation threat and adapts by conserving energy while still carrying out essential functions. It may seem incredibly unfair that the body doesn’t recognize the goal of weight loss and instead works against it by holding on to ...

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