Science
press releases.

Science6 Jan 2025

Marco Demaria named editor-in-chief of Aging (Aging-US)

BUFFALO, NY- January 6, 2025 – We are pleased to announce that Dr. Marco Demaria, a leading expert in aging and cellular senescence, has joined Aging (Aging-US) as Editor-in-Chief, effective January 1, 2025. Dr. Demaria will work alongside an esteemed Editorial Board. Dr. Demaria has an impressive background in aging research. He earned his PhD in Molecular Medicine from the University of Torino, Italy. In 2010, he joined the laboratory of Aging Founding Editor, the late Dr. Judith Campisi, at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. There ...

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Science6 Jan 2025

Fluoride exposure and children’s IQ scores

About The Study: This systematic review and meta-analysis found inverse associations and a dose-response association between fluoride measurements in urine and drinking water and children’s IQ across the large multi-country epidemiological literature. There were limited data and uncertainty in the dose-response association between fluoride exposure and children’s IQ when fluoride exposure was estimated by drinking water alone at concentrations less than 1.5 mg/L. These findings may inform future comprehensive public health risk-benefit assessments of fluoride exposures. Corresponding ...

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Science6 Jan 2025

New study shows plummeting STIs with doxyPEP use

Key Takeaways: A new study in JAMA Internal Medicine led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute examined whether doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) was associated with declines in bacterial sexually transmitted infections in routine care. The study represents the largest cohort of doxyPEP recipients reported globally to date. Findings showed doxyPEP was associated with a 79% reduction in chlamydia, 80% reduction in syphilis, and 12% reduction in gonorrhea. Boston, MA — A new study has found that rates of chlamydia and syphilis plummet among people prescribed doxycycline for sexually transmitted ...

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Science6 Jan 2025

Nutrient enrichment: an emerging threat to tropical forests

Tropical forests, often referred to as the "lungs of the Earth," are essential for sustaining life on our planet. They provide clean air, water, and unparalleled biodiversity. While deforestation due to slash-and-burn agriculture, mining, and logging remains the most recognized threat, less visible but equally dangerous forces are at work. A new study reveals that nutrient enrichment – driven by human activities such as agriculture and fossil fuel combustion – poses a significant risk to the delicate dynamics of tropical forests. The research, conducted by an international team of scientists ...

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Science6 Jan 2025

Scientists identify low-cost adsorbents for removing impurities from landfill gas

Landfill gas, a mixture of gases produced when garbage breaks down within landfills, contains unwanted traces of siloxane compounds, which are chemical structures containing silicon and oxygen bonds and are found in various products like cosmetics and cleaning agents. These compounds can damage the equipment used to generate energy from landfill gas. In new research published in Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, investigators have identified low-cost adsorbents for siloxane removal from landfill gas. The research highlights the potential of ...

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Science6 Jan 2025

How can similar news stories influence financial markets? Here’s what investors need to know

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Have you ever noticed a swath of similar business news stories about a particular topic during a Google search, all of them appearing to be reported by different news outlets? Why might a story on a news site in New York be so similar to one from a site in, for example, Wisconsin? It’s likely because the same media company owns them — and it’s become more commonplace nationwide as news outlets grapple with dwindling resources. A new study co-authored by Flora Sun, assistant professor of accounting at Binghamton University’s School of Management, ...

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Science6 Jan 2025

Age matters: Kidney disorder indicator gains precision

Annual health checkups regularly include urine tests that serve several purposes, including checking for symptoms of kidney disease. The presence of albumin in the urine is one indicator as is glomerular filtration rate. In diabetic nephropathy, albuminuria first appears, leading to excessive filtration and eventually a decrease in GFR. In the elderly, however, excessive filtration cannot be detected due to age-related GFR decline. To accurately assess GFR, Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have come up with ...

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Science3 Jan 2025

A successful catalyst design for advanced zinc-iodine batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted extensive attention due to their high safety, abundant reserves, and environmental friendliness. Iodine with high abundance in seawater (55 μg L−1) is highly promising to fabricate zinc-iodine batteries due to high theoretical capacity (211 mAh g−1) and appropriate redox potential (0.54 V). However, the low electrical conductivity of iodine hinders the redox conversion for the efficient energy storage process with zinc. Additionally, the formed soluble polyiodides are prone to migirate to Zn anode, leading to capacity degration and ...

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Science3 Jan 2025

Study finds 25% of youth experienced homelessness in Denver in 2021, significantly higher than known counts

AURORA, Colo. (Jan. 3, 2025) – A first of its kind study, published today in Pediatrics, has provided full-picture assessment of youth homelessness in Denver, Colorado. The findings reveal that nearly 25% of youth in Denver experienced homelessness or housing insecurity in 2021, with rates increasing almost every year since 2017. Researchers across Colorado, led by Josh Barocas, MD and resident Matthew Westfall, MD of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, combined multiple data sources for youth aged 14 to 17 in the City of Denver, to estimate the total number ...

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Science3 Jan 2025

Study reveals oldest-known evolutionary “arms race”

A new study led by researchers at the American Museum of Natural History presents the oldest known example in the fossil record of an evolutionary arms race. These 517-million-year-old predator-prey interactions occurred in the ocean covering what is now South Australia between a small, shelled animal distantly related to brachiopods and an unknown marine animal capable of piercing its shell. Described today in the journal Current Biology, the study provides the first demonstrable record of an evolutionary arms race in the Cambrian. “Predator-prey interactions are often touted as a major driver of the Cambrian explosion, ...

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Science3 Jan 2025

New imaging technique offers insight into Achilles tendon injury recovery

Achilles tendon injuries are common but challenging to monitor during recovery due to the limitations of current imaging techniques. Researchers, led by Associate Professor Zeng Nan from the International Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, have applied Mueller matrix polarimetry, a non-invasive imaging method, to more accurately observe and evaluate the healing of Achilles tendon injuries. This technique offers unique insights by capturing the subtle changes in tendon tissue without needing labels or dyes, allowing for more natural tissue characterization. The study used Mueller ...

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Science2 Jan 2025

Expanding the agenda for more just genomics

Genomics is being integrated into biomedical research, medicine, and public health at a rapid pace, but the capacities necessary to ensure the fair, global distribution of benefits are lagging. A new special report outlines opportunities to enhance justice in genomics, toward a world in which genomic medicine promotes health equity, protects privacy, and respects the rights and values of individuals and communities. The report, “Envisioning a More Just Genomics,” is a collaboration between ...

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Science2 Jan 2025

Robert McKeown recognized for a half century of distinguished service

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – For nearly half a century, Robert D. “Bob” McKeown has probed nuclear particles and educated rising generations of physicists. Now, the former deputy director for science at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility is being honored for his outstanding career contributions with the 2024 American Physical Society’s Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP) Distinguished Service Award. McKeown is recognized for his work in experimental physics and his extensive leadership in the broader ...

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Science2 Jan 2025

Early life “luck” among competitive male mice leads to competitive advantage overall

Early life "luck" plays a pivotal role in shaping individuality and success, particularly for males, according to a new study in mice. In male animals, competitive social dynamics amplified small initial differences into lifelong disparities in fitness. The findings highlight parallels between biological competition and societal inequalities and they demonstrate how chance events can drive divergent outcomes even among genetically identical individuals. Contingency (colloquially, “luck”) refers to the role of chance in shaping outcomes. It is a critical factor in both biological and social sciences, ...

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Science2 Jan 2025

Dogs trained to sniff out spotted lanternflies could help reduce spread

Media note: Video of the Labrador retriever, Dia, in action is available for download, along with photos of the dogs and egg masses, here. ITHACA, N.Y. - Growers and conservationists have a new weapon to detect invasive spotted lanternflies early and limit their spread: dogs trained to sniff out egg masses that overwinter in vineyards and forests. A Cornell University study found that trained dogs – a Labrador retriever and a Belgian Malinois – were better than humans at detecting egg masses in forested areas near vineyards, while people spotted them better than the dogs in vineyards. The spotted lanternfly, which was first ...

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Science2 Jan 2025

Quantity over quality? Different bees are attracted to different floral traits

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When it comes to deciding where they’re going to get their next meal, different species of bees may be attracted to different flower traits, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State and published in PNAS Nexus. The study focused on two species of solitary bees: the horned-face bee, which helps pollinate crops like apples and blueberries, and the alfalfa leafcutting bee, which pollinates alfalfa. The researchers found that the horned-face bees tended to prefer plants with a large number of flowers — for them, quantity was most important. ...

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Science2 Jan 2025

Genomic analysis of modern maize inbred lines reveals diversity and selective breeding effects

Maize is a globally cultivated staple crop and one of the most successful examples of heterosis utilization in food production. The development of elite inbred lines is critical for breeding hybrid varieties and achieving sustained yield improvements. However, efficient breeding of inbred lines faces significant challenges, including the broad origins of germplasm resources, complex and diverse genetic structures, and low accuracy in phenotypic prediction. Advances in modern genomics and artificial intelligence technologies ...

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Science2 Jan 2025

NIH officials assess threat of H5N1

WHAT: Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza A virus (HPAI H5N1) remains a low risk to the general public, and public health experts in the United States believe that available treatments and vaccines, as well as those in development, are sufficient to prevent severe disease. However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its federal partners remain focused on monitoring the virus and evaluating changes, according to leading officials at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH. In a commentary published in the New England Journal of Medicine, NIAID Director Jeanne M. Marrazzo, M.D., M.P.H., and Michael G. Ison, M.D., M.S., chief ...

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Science2 Jan 2025

Bringing the magic of playing music to the virtual world

Researchers are aiming to bring the magic of playing music in person to the virtual world. The Joint Active Music Sessions (JAMS) platform, created at the University of Birmingham, uses avatars created by individual musicians and shared with fellow musicians to create virtual concerts, practice sessions, or enhance music teaching. Dr Massimiliano (Max) Di Luca from the University of Birmingham explains: “A musician records themselves and sends the video to another musician. The software creates a responsive avatar ...

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Science2 Jan 2025

Too many men or too few women?—new study finds how the gender gap is framed affects perceptions of it

To many, Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss in the 2024 presidential election was a sobering reminder of a larger and continuous gender gap across leadership positions in not only government, but also in business, higher education, and the military. A majority of Americans recognize the inadequacy of female representation in leadership, and the news media often portray women’s underrepresentation in these roles—but it nonetheless persists. Recognizing that news coverage may have influence in forming attitudes and in driving ...

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Science2 Jan 2025

How does a hula hoop master gravity? Mathematicians prove that shape matters

Hula hooping is so commonplace that we may overlook some interesting questions it raises: “What keeps a hula hoop up against gravity?” and “Are some body types better for hula hooping than others?” A team of mathematicians explored and answered these questions with findings that also point to new ways to better harness energy and improve robotic positioners. The results are the first to explain the physics and mathematics of hula hooping. “We were specifically interested in what kinds of body motions and shapes could successfully hold the hoop up and what physical requirements and restrictions are involved,” explains ...

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Science1 Jan 2025

Revolutionizing heat management with high-performance cerium oxide thermal switches

Groundbreaking cerium oxide-based thermal switches achieve remarkable performance, transforming heat flow control with sustainable and efficient technology. Thermal switches, which electrically control heat transfer, are essential for the advancement of sophisticated thermal management systems. Historically, electrochemical thermal switches have been constrained by suboptimal performance, which impedes their extensive utilization in the electronics, energy, and waste heat recovery sectors. A research team led by Professor Hiromichi Ohta of the Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University employed a novel approach of ...

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Science1 Jan 2025

Pupil size in sleep reveals how memories are sorted, preserved

ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell University researchers have found the pupil is key to understanding how, and when, the brain forms strong, long-lasting memories. By studying mice equipped with brain electrodes and tiny eye-tracking cameras, the researchers determined that new memories are being replayed and consolidated when the pupil is contracted during a substage of non-REM sleep. When the pupil is dilated, the process repeats for older memories. The brain’s ability to separate these two substages of sleep with a previously unknown micro-structure is what ...

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Science1 Jan 2025

Revealing a key mechanism of rapid centromere evolution

A joint research group team led by Sayuri Tsukahara and Tetsuji Kakutani of the University of Tokyo has clarified a mechanism of how retrotransposons, genetic elements that can “jump around” chromosomes and are known drivers of evolution, preferentially insert in the centromere. The findings were published in the journal Nature. The centromere is the thinnest part of the chromosome that divides it into a long and short arm, much like how the waist separates the upper and lower body. Its role in transmitting information via cell division has been preserved ...

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Science1 Jan 2025

MIT scientists pin down the origins of a fast radio burst

Fast radio bursts are brief and brilliant explosions of radio waves emitted by extremely compact objects such as neutron stars and possibly black holes. These fleeting fireworks last for just a thousandth of a second and can carry an enormous amount of energy — enough to briefly outshine entire galaxies. Since the first fast radio burst (FRB) was discovered in 2007, astronomers have detected thousands of FRBs, whose locations range from within our own galaxy to as far as 8 billion light-years away. Exactly how ...

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