Science
press releases.

Science7 Nov 2024

Researchers discover dozens of new genes associated with disc herniations

Lumbar disc herniation is one of the most common structural changes in the lower back and the most common cause of radiating pain, or sciatica, in the leg. Hereditary risk factors for disc herniations were investigated in a recently published international study led by a University of Oulu research group, utilising data from FinnGen, the Estonian Biobank, and the UK Biobank. The study analyzed the genetic and health data of 829,699 participants. The study found 41 novel regions of the genome that modify the disease risk for disc herniations, in addition ...

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Science7 Nov 2024

Tanning bed access and usage is driving higher rates of melanoma in specific regions

Philadelphia, November 7, 2024 – Melanoma accounts for only 1% of skin cancers in the United States but results in the largest number of skin cancer deaths. Investigators evaluated the potential link between the availability and use of tanning beds and the rising rates of melanoma in New England. They found compelling evidence linking tanning bed usage to increased melanoma risk. Their spatial epidemiologic study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, published by Elsevier, provides critical insights to inform public health strategies and reduce melanoma incidence. The incidence of melanoma in the US has been increasing ...

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Science7 Nov 2024

Dr. Nora Volkow shares insights on addiction science and harm reduction in Genomic Press interview

Bethesda, Maryland, USA, 7 November 2024 – Dr. Nora Volkow's mission to revolutionize addiction treatment began with a deeply personal observation: watching how excessive substance use could profoundly alter a person’s behavior while simultaneously triggering social rejection by others. As the first woman and Hispanic Director of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Dr. Volkow has dedicated her career to investigating how drugs affect the human brain and how these disruptions contribute to the behavioral/emotional ...

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Science7 Nov 2024

Molecular Frontiers Symposium in Hong Kong “Frontiers of New Knowledge in Science”

Event Date: 15 November 2024 to 17 November 2024 Time: 9:00am - 6:30pm Venue: Main Hall, Shaw Auditorium, HKUST INTRODUCTION The Molecular Frontiers Symposium, organized by the globally renowned Molecular Frontiers Foundation - founded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences - is recognized as one of the most influential scientific organizations worldwide. For the first time in the organization’s history, the Foundation's annual flagship symposium will be held in Greater China, hosted at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. With the theme "Frontiers of New Knowledge in Science", the Symposium ...

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Science7 Nov 2024

Scientists reveal strigolactone perception mechanism and role in tillering responses to nitrogen

“How is plant growth controlled?” and “What is the basis of variation in stress tolerance in plants?” were among the 125 most challenging scientific questions, according to the journal Science in 2016. Strigolactone (SL) is an important plant hormone that plays essential roles in regulating branch number, a key growth and development trait for plants. Recently, scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have uncovered the mechanism behind SL perception and its key role in the tillering response to nitrogen. The “gas and brake” mechanism of SL perception allows “smart and flexible” regulation of the duration ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

Scientists calculate predictions for meson measurements

UPTON, N.Y. — Nuclear physics theorists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have demonstrated that complex calculations run on supercomputers can accurately predict the distribution of electric charges in mesons, particles made of a quark and an antiquark. Scientists are keen to learn more about mesons — and the whole class of particles made of quarks, collectively known as hadrons — in high-energy experiments at the future Electron-Ion ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

Using a fan and wetting the skin reduces risk of deadly cardiac strain in hot and humid weather

Using a fan and wetting the skin reduces risk of deadly cardiac strain in hot and humid weather But older people should avoid using fans in very hot and dry conditions New collaborative research from the University of Sydney and the Montreal Heart Institute has shown that using a fan in hot and humid weather reduces cardiac strain in older people, contradicting recommendations from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in the US. The study, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

Sewage surveillance proves powerful in combating antimicrobial resistance

Waterborne diseases affect over 7 million people in the U.S. every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and cost our health care system over $3 billion. But they don’t impact all people equally. A campuswide collaboration is using sewage surveillance as a vital strategy in the fight against diseases that spread through the water such as legionella and shigella. The ones that are most difficult to combat are diseases with antimicrobial resistance, which means they are able to survive against antibiotics that are intended to kill them. A recent paper in Nature Water offers an encouraging insight: Monitoring ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

New study sheds light on the role of sound and music in gendered toy marketing

A groundbreaking study from Queen Mary University of London reveals that the music and soundscapes used in toy commercials are reinforcing rigid gender norms, shaping the way children perceive masculinity and femininity. The research uncovers how gender stereotypes are not only conveyed through visuals and language but are also deeply embedded in the sound and music used in advertisements targeted at children. For more than 40 years, research has shown how gender polarisation in children’s ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

Effects of preterm birth extend into adulthood, study finds

By analyzing all live births in Canada over a six-year period and following children for more than two decades, researchers found that preterm births and the related cognitive, development and physical health impacts of prematurity are associated with lower income, employment and university enrollment Individuals born before 37 weeks of gestation, considered to be preterm infants, have, on average, lower employment income, university enrollment and educational attainment through age 28, according to ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

Salmon frequently mislabeled in Seattle grocery stores and sushi restaurants

In a study of salmon samples from Seattle, Washington, grocery stores and sushi restaurants, DNA analysis revealed that 18 percent were mislabeled. Tracie Delgado and colleagues at Seattle Pacific University, WA, U.S., present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on November 6, 2024. Washington State is one of the top suppliers of wild salmon eaten in the United States. The price of salmon depends on the species and whether it is farmed or wild caught. Prior studies have revealed frequent mislabeling of salmon in Washington markets and restaurants. In 2013, the state made it illegal to mislabel salmon, citing negative ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

15,800-year-old engraved plaquettes from modern-day Germany depict fishing techniques, including the use of nets, not previously known in the Upper Paleolithic

15,800-year-old engraved plaquettes from modern-day Germany depict fishing techniques, including the use of nets, not previously known in the Upper Paleolithic ### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0311302 Article Title: Upper Palaeolithic fishing techniques: Insights from the engraved plaquettes of the Magdalenian site of Gönnersdorf, Germany Author Countries: Germany, U.K. Funding: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (Germany) - AHRC (UK) Memorandum of Understanding Grant DFG-Projekt GZ: GA 683/13-1 (AOBJ: 647648); AHRC (UK) AH/V002899/1) Kunst und Haushalt im Paläolithikum: ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

How plants evolved multiple ways to override genetic instructions

Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered the origin of a curious duplication that gives plants multiple ways to override instructions that are coded into their DNA. This research could help scientists exploit a plant’s existing systems to favor traits that make it more resilient to environmental changes, like heat or drought stress. The study led by Xuehua Zhong, a professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, was published Nov. 6 in Science Advances. Zhong’s new research focuses on DNA methylation, a normal biological process in living cells wherein small chemical groups called methyl ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

New PFAs testing method created at UMass Amherst

AMHERST, Mass. — University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have discovered a new way to detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water. This marks an important step forward in creating testing devices that are simpler, more cost-effective, faster and generally more accessible than existing methods. PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals, have been recognized as a concerning pollutant. These chemicals persist in the environment because they resist breaking down and pose significant health threats. Exposure to these chemicals is linked to various cancers ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

New haptic patch transmits complexity of touch to the skin

A Northwestern University-led team of engineers has developed a new type of wearable device that stimulates skin to deliver various complex sensations. The thin, flexible device gently adheres to the skin, providing more realistic and immersive sensory experiences. Although the new device obviously lends itself to gaming and virtual reality (VR), the researchers also envision applications in healthcare. For example, the device could help people with visual impairments “feel” their surroundings or give feedback to people with prosthetic limbs. The ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

Washington coast avian flu outbreak devastated Caspian terns, jumped to seals

PULLMAN, Wash. – An epidemiological study found that 56% of a large breeding colony of Caspian terns died from a 2023 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at Rat Island in Washington state. Since then, no birds have successfully bred on the island, raising concerns that the outbreak may have had a significant impact on an already declining Pacific-coast population. As part of the study, a team including Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) as well as Washington State University researchers also documented that the avian flu virus H5N1was transmitted to harbor seals for the first time in the northeastern ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

Use of “genetic scissors” carries risks

The CRISPR molecular scissors have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of genetic diseases. This is because they can be used to correct specific defective sections of the genome. Unfortunately, however, there is a catch: under certain conditions, the repair can lead to new genetic defects – as in the case of chronic granulomatous disease. This was reported by a team of basic researchers and physicians from the clinical research program ImmuGene at the University of Zurich (UZH). Chronic granulomatous disease is ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

New research may lead to potatoes that are less reliant on nitrogen fertilizers

Because nitrogen fertilizers contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions, scientists are looking for ways to modify agricultural plants so that they rely on less nitrogen. In research published in New Phytologist, investigators have found that blocking a particular protein may achieve this goal in potatoes. The protein, called Solanum tuberosum CYCLING DOF FACTOR 1 (StCDF1), binds to DNA and plays a key role in regulating tuberization in potatoes. In this latest research, investigators found that StCDF1 ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

Do commercial ties influence ESG ratings?

An analysis published in the Journal of Accounting Research uncovers evidence that conflicts of interest arising from commercial ties lead to bias in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings. Investigators focused on Moody’s and S&P’s acquisitions of ESG rating agencies Vigeo Eiris and RobecoSAM. Their analysis revealed that after these ESG rating agencies were acquired by Moody’s and S&P, they issued higher ratings to existing paying clients of Moody’s and S&P. Specifically, ...

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Science6 Nov 2024

Firms that read more perform better

[Vienna, November 6, 2024] — “Tell me how you read and I’ll tell you who you are.” By analyzing online reading behavior across millions of firms worldwide, a new study out of the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) connects how much information companies consume and how the consumption relates to their size. "The way companies consume information is reminiscent of biological organisms. They take in, transmit, and transform information to make decisions. As with organisms, there are important size differences. Larger firms tend to consume information more efficiently ...

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Science5 Nov 2024

Groundbreaking study provides new evidence of when Earth was slushy

At the end of the last global ice age, the deep-frozen Earth reached a built-in limit of climate change and thawed into a slushy planet. Results from a Virginia Tech-led study provide the first direct geochemical evidence of the slushy planet — otherwise known as the “plumeworld ocean” era — when sky-high carbon dioxide levels forced the frozen Earth into a massive, rapid melting period. “Our results have important implications for understanding how Earth's climate and ocean chemistry changed after the extreme conditions of the last global ...

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Science5 Nov 2024

SwRI awarded grant to characterize Las Moras Springs watershed

SAN ANTONIO — November 5, 2024 — Hydrologists at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will begin a 12-month targeted water-sampling campaign of the Las Moras Springs system near Brackettville, Texas. The project will analyze and characterize the system of springs and their relationship to the Pinto Creek watershed to improve water management and conservation efforts. “Las Moras, like many other Texas spring systems, are at-risk and prone to going dry. It is important to clear up uncertainties about their source and relationship with ...

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Science5 Nov 2024

Water overuse in MATOPIBA could mean failure to meet up to 40% of local demand for crop irrigation

Considered one of the fastest-growing agricultural frontiers in Brazil, and the area with the highest greenhouse gas emissions in the Cerrado, Brazil’s savanna-type biome, the region known as MATOPIBA risks facing water shortages in the years ahead. Water overuse may mean that between 30% and 40% of demand for crop irrigation cannot be met in the period 2025-40. MATOPIBA is a portmanteau of the names of four states – Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia (all but Tocantins located in Brazil’s Northeast ...

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Science5 Nov 2024

Deaf male mosquitoes don’t mate

Mosquitoes are much more blunt. Mating occurs for a few seconds in midair. And all it takes to woo a male is the sound of a female’s wingbeats. Imagine researchers’ surprise when a single change completely killed the mosquitoes’ libidos. Now a study out of UC Santa Barbara reveals that this is really all there is to it. Researchers in Professor Craig Montell’s lab created deaf mosquitoes and found that the males had absolutely no interest in mating. “You could leave them together with the females ...

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Science5 Nov 2024

SwRI’s Dr. James Walker receives Distinguished Scientist Award from Hypervelocity Impact Society

SAN ANTONIO — November 5, 2024 —Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. James Walker has received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Hypervelocity Impact Society. This honor recognizes individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of hypervelocity science. Hypervelocity impact is typically viewed as impacts at speeds above 2 kilometers per second (4,475 miles per hour); for some materials, however, lower speed impacts display hypervelocity impact effects. The ...

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