Science
press releases.

Science23 Jan 2025

Rooting for resistance: How soybeans tackle nematode invaders is no secret anymore

“Fight-or-flight” is not an option for plants, unfortunately, when it comes to pathogen attacks. Instead, plants opt for “do-or-die.” A deeper insight into the genetic mechanisms that enable plants to resist pathogen infections has equipped researchers with tools to tackle the most devastating pathogens in agriculture. Using advanced RNA sequencing, researchers have recently uncovered how varieties of soybean respond to different types of soybean cyst nematodes (SCNs), with potential implications for developing more resilient crops and reducing reliance on chemical treatments. Published ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Beer helps grocery stores tap sales in other categories

ITHACA, N.Y. – When a grocery store starts selling beer, its sales grow beyond just six-packs and cases: Households, and beer-purchasing households in particular, visit the store more frequently and increase their total monthly grocery expenditures, according to new Cornell research. The finding has important implications for the intensely competitive grocery business, which operates on razor-thin profit margins between 1 and 3%, well below other retail sectors. One approach to boosting profits is employing “loss leaders,” specific products sold below cost to attract customers to a store and encourage them to buy other, more profitable ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Terahertz pulses induce chirality in a non-chiral crystal

Chirality refers to objects that cannot be superimposed to their mirror images through any combination of rotations or translations, much like the distinct left and right hands of a human. In chiral crystals, the spatial arrangement of atoms confers a specific "handedness", which, for example, influences their optical and electrical properties. The Hamburg-Oxford team focused on so-called antiferro-chirals, a type of non-chiral crystals reminiscent of antiferro-magnetic materials, in which magnetic ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Transportation insecurity in Detroit and beyond

Images More than a third of Detroit residents (36%) can't get from place to place in a safe or timely manner. This is the main finding of a new study led by Alexandra Murphy, associate director of social science research at Mcity and assistant research scientist at U-M's Poverty Solutions, and first author Lydia Wileden, a U-M alum and assistant research professor at the University of Connecticut. They measured this with a tool created by Murphy and her team called the Transportation Security ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Uncovering the role of Y chromosome genes in male fertility in mice

Researchers at the Crick have uncovered which genes on the Y chromosome regulate the development of sperm and impact fertility in male mice. This research could help us understand why some men don’t produce enough sperm and are infertile. Males typically have one copy of the Y chromosome and one copy of the X chromosome, whereas females typically have two X chromosomes. Scientists know that the Y chromosome is essential for male fertility, but which genes are the most important and how they work is less clear. In research published today in Science, a research team at the Crick resolved this question by generating thirteen different ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

A single gene underlies male mating morphs in ruff sandpipers

Male ruff sandpipers engaging in the act of mating typically fall into one of three groups, with variations in how aggressive they are and how showy their plumage is, among other factors. Now, a new study reports a single gene – HSD17B2 – drives these dramatic differences among male ruff sandpiper morphs. The findings show how evolutionary changes in a single gene's structure, sequence, and regulation can drive significant diversity within a single species. The androgen testosterone plays a key role in male reproductive development. It influences ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Presenting CASTER – a novel method for evolutionary research

In a new study involving whole-genome data, researchers present “CASTER,” a tool that uses arrangements in DNA sequences known as site patterns to infer “species trees,” which are diagrams that depict the evolutionary relationships among species. The tool, which performs with exceptional accuracy and scalability and overcomes the limitations of traditional phylogenetic methods, offers transformative potential for evolutionary research. The growing availability of genomic data has revitalized efforts to construct precise species trees and model gene tree variations. However, the methodology for utilizing genome-wide data lags behind data availability. While traditional ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Smoking cannabis in the home increases odds of detectable levels in children

Researchers at University of California San Diego analyzed cannabis smoking practices in San Diego County to assess whether in-home smoking was associated with cannabis detection in children. The study, published in the Jan. 23, 2025, online edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open, found that in-home cannabis smoking increased the odds of child exposure to cannabis smoke. Smoking is the most common method of cannabis use and is known to generate emissions that are harmful to those exposed. Cannabis is often smoked indoors, putting non-smokers such as children at risk for exposure. “While the long-term health consequences of cannabis smoke are not ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Food insecurity in pregnancy, receipt of food assistance, and perinatal complications

About The Study: In this cohort study, food insecurity in pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of perinatal complications, and these associations were overall attenuated to the null among individuals who received food assistance in pregnancy. These findings support clinical guidelines of screening for food insecurity in pregnancy and provide evidence to expand food assistance programs that may help improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Rana F. Chehab, PhD (Rana.Chehab@kp.org) and Yeyi ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke among children

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study, in-home cannabis smoking was associated with significantly increased odds of child exposure to cannabis smoke, as assessed by urinary cannabinoid biomarkers. As young children spend most of their time at home, reducing in-home cannabis smoking could substantially reduce their exposure to the toxic and carcinogenic chemicals found in cannabis smoke. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Osika Tripathi, PhD (otripath@health.ucsd.edu) and ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Plant’s name-giving feature found to be new offspring-ensuring method

130 years after a fungus-eating plant received its name, a Kobe University researcher has uncovered the purpose of the structure that inspired its name — revealing a novel mechanism by which plants ensure reproduction. MAKINO Tomitaro, a towering figure in Japanese botany, named around 1,000 species and discovered about 600 new plants between 1887 and 1957. Among his notable discoveries was the diminutive orchid Stigmatodactylus sikokianus, first identified in 1889. After Makino’s discovery, the plant was named for the unique, tiny finger-like appendage (the “dactylus” part) on its stigma, the flower’s ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

World Leprosy Day: Tailored guidelines and reduced stigma needed to tackle leprosy, Irish case study reveals

A case report published in Eurosurveillance on an adult with an imported case of leprosy in Ireland shows that there are notable challenges in tackling the disease in settings where it is rare. The affected individual was one of five individuals with leprosy reported in Ireland in the past decade. The authors report challenges faced in the public health response due to a delayed recognition of the symptoms by healthcare providers, a lack of specific Irish and European guidelines, and contact tracing in a congregate setting. Ahead of World Leprosy Day, this case study highlights ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Thousands of European citizen scientists helped identify shifts in the floral traits of insect-pollinated plants

The results of cowslip observations carried out with the help of citizen scientists from 32 countries in over 5,200 locations shed light on the well-being of insect-pollinated plants under changing climate and land use conditions. The study was made possible thanks to the contribution of European science enthusiasts. It revealed some surprising results recently published in the Journal of Ecology, one of the longest-standing top-level journals in this field. The cowslip (Primula veris) is considered a model species for studying insect-pollinated plants. Cowslips can have two types of flowers: long-styled (L-morph) and short-styled (S-morph). In L-morph flowers, ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

By the numbers: Diarylethene crystal orientation controlled for 1st time

Photomechanical materials made of photochromic crystals, which change their molecular structure reversibly in response to light, have the potential to impact fields from semiconductors to pharmaceuticals. For the first time in the world, an Osaka Metropolitan University team has developed a crystal patterning method demonstrating that it is possible to control the orientation of photochromic crystals known as diarylethenes. Diarylethene crystals not only change color when exposed to UV light, but also undergo various shape changes as the molecular structure ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Smoking opioids is associated with lower mortality than injecting but is still high-risk

A new study published today in the scientific journal Addiction has found that opioid smoking appears to be associated with lower mortality risk compared with opioid injecting. The authors, however, caution that opioid smoking still carries a substantial overdose risk and that these results should not be interpreted as suggesting that opioid smoking is safe. The study analysed substance use treatment data from 2006 to 2021, comparing 287,481 individuals who reported smoking opioids as their primary form of substance use and an equal weighted number of individuals who reported ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

WPIA: Accelerating DNN warm-up in web browsers by precompiling WebGL programs

Deep learning techniques are drawing more and more attention to Web developers. A lot of Web apps perform inference of deep neural network (DNN) models within Web browsers to provide intelligent services for their users. Typically, GPU acceleration is required during DNN inference, especially on end devices. However, it has been revealed that GPU acceleration in Web browsers has an unacceptably long warm-up time, harming the quality of service (QoS). To solve the problems, a research team led by Yun MA published their new research on ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Camel milk udderly good alterative to traditional dairy

Camel milk udderly good alterative to traditional dairy In addition to being hypoallergenic, camel milk could potentially protect the gut from harmful enzymes and create healthier digestion. New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found that camel milk contained more naturally occurring bioactive peptides when compared to its bovine counterpart. “This is a good thing. We now know that camel milk has the potential to be hypoallergenic compared to cow’s milk, but also that it has higher potential to yield bioactive peptides which can have antimicrobial ...

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Science23 Jan 2025

Game, set, match: Exploring the experiences of women coaches in tennis

Game, set, match: Exploring the experiences of women coaches in tennis As the Australian Open continues in full swing, a new study can reveal female tennis coaches experience significantly more barriers in their profession – including discrimination and marginalisation – than their male counterparts, with fewer than half seeing themselves continuing as coaches long term. Led by Dr Jasmine Petersen from Flinders University’s Caring Futures Institute, the study interviewed 243 Australian tennis coaches, a third of which were women, assessing their motivation and barriers towards coaching and the support they received. “Women coaches continue ...

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Science22 Jan 2025

Will the U.S. have enough pain specialists?

(SACRAMENTO) — Nearly a quarter of adults in the U.S. have chronic pain, but a new study from the UC Davis School of Medicine shows a concerning drop in residents applying to pain medicine fellowship programs. The study was published in PAIN Practice. It found the number of anesthesiology residents applying for pain medicine fellowships — historically the key pool of applicants — dropped 45% between 2019 and 2023. “While the demand for pain specialists is growing in the U.S., the pipeline of new doctors to fill these roles is drying up,” said Scott Pritzlaff, the study’s ...

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Science22 Jan 2025

Stronger stress response in monkeys helps them survive

Key takeaways The team used the environmental circumstances and fecal samples collected from the six years prior to the El Niño drought to study the relationship between the endocrinologic stress response and survival in the white-faced capuchins. Monkeys who showed a steeper rise in these stress hormones during the mild droughts were more likely to survive the severe El Niño drought. As weather intensifies globally, longitudinal studies of how wild animals cope with changes in temperature, rainfall and food availability can help us understand which species ...

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Science22 Jan 2025

Using infrared heat transfer to modify chemical reactions

In a joint experimental-theoretical work, a team of researchers, including theorists from UC San Diego, have shown for the first time that heat transfer in the form of infrared radiation can influence chemical reactions more strongly than traditional convection and conduction methods. Using an optical cavity to confine infrared light waves, researchers focused on the thermal dehydration of an inorganic crystal, copper sulfate pentahydrate. They found that light-matter vibrational coupling (resulting in states known as polaritons) lowered ...

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Science22 Jan 2025

Being a ladies' man comes at a price for alpha male baboons

DURHAM, N.C. -- A few things come to mind when we imagine the “alpha male” type. They’re the ones calling the shots, who get all the girls. But there’s a downside to being a strong and powerful alpha stud -- at least if you’re a baboon. Studies show that despite their high rank, the No. 1 males in baboon society are also some of the most stressed out, as measured by their high levels of glucocorticoids, the hormones involved in the ‘fight-or-flight’ response. But the leaders’ stress burden comes from a surprising source. New research reveals ...

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Science22 Jan 2025

MSU study finds children of color experience more variability in sleep times

MSU has a satellite uplink/LTN TV studio and Comrex line for radio interviews upon request. EAST LANSING, Mich. – Researchers from Michigan State University’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies revealed that sleep patterns may vary across different racial and ethnic groups — notably for non-white and multiracial children. Yijie Wang is an associate professor of human development and family studies in the College of Social Science, and her research team published a ...

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Science22 Jan 2025

PET probe images inflammation with high sensitivity and selectivity

Study Title: CD45-PET is a robust, non-invasive tool for imaging inflammation Publication: Nature, January 22, 2025 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute authors: Ali Salehi Farid, PharmD, Jennifer E. Rowley, Harris H. Allen, Isabella G. Kruger, Soheil Tavakolpour, Kyle Neeley, Min Cong, PhD, Haneyeh Shahbazian, MD, Niki Dorafshani, Achraf Berrada, MS, Mohammad Rashidian, PhD Summary: Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed a breakthrough method to detect inflammation in the body using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. This innovative probe targets CD45, a marker abundantly expressed on all immune cells but absent from other cell types. ...

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Science22 Jan 2025

Your stroke risk might be higher if your parents divorced during your childhood

People whose parents divorced during their childhood may be at a greater risk of stroke later in life, according to a new study published January 22, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Esme Fuller-Thomson of University of Toronto, Canada, and colleagues. Each year, approximately 795,000 individuals in the U.S. have a stroke. Previous work has established many sociodemographic risk factors for stroke, as well as connections between adverse childhood events and stroke. In the new study, researchers looked specifically at the ...

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