Science
press releases.

Science9 Oct 2024

Researchers discover how plants produce a novel anti-stress molecule

New research identifies for the first time the genes that help plants grow under stressful conditions - with implications for producing more sustainable food crops in the face of global climate change. Led by the University of East Anglia (UEA), the study reveals the genes that enable plants to make a novel anti-stress molecule called dimethylsulfoniopropionate, or DMSP. It shows that most plants make DMSP, but that high-level DMSP production allows plants to grow at the coast, for example in salty conditions. The research also shows that plants can be grown under other ...

Read the release

Science9 Oct 2024

Our food system is broken and we only have 60 harvests left, researchers warn

Plant-based diets, compassionate agriculture, Indigenous methods, consumer pressure, new laws, international agreements and even vegan pets – these are the solutions for fixing our broken food and farming systems, say dozens of environmental advocates, researchers, farmers and industry pioneers in a new book. Editors Joyce D’Silva and Carol McKenna sound the alarm in their introduction to Regenerative Farming and Sustainable Diets, warning that ‘our food system is broken’. Radical change is needed, they say, in our world where one‑third of food is lost or wasted, 780 million people ...

Read the release

Science9 Oct 2024

Octopus-inspired adhesive works well in wet conditions

In research published in Advanced Science, investigators drew inspiration from the octopus to develop an adhesive that achieves strong attachment and controlled release on varied substrates in wet and underwater environments. The feat could have numerous applications in fields ranging from healthcare and underwater robotics to infrastructure repair. By studying the octopus’s suckers—specifically, the exposed disc-like portion called the infundibulum—the researchers designed an elastic, curved stalk with a membrane that can change its shape ...

Read the release

Science9 Oct 2024

Can adrenaline auto-injectors prevent fatal anaphylaxis?

Individuals at risk of anaphylaxis—an acute systemic hypersensitivity reaction to an allergen or trigger, typically associated with skin reactions, nausea/vomiting, difficulty breathing, and shock—are often prescribed adrenaline (epinephrine) autoinjectors such as EpiPens. A recent review published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy finds that these autoinjectors, which people use to self-administer adrenaline into the muscle, can deliver high doses of adrenaline into the blood, but these levels are short-lived and may not be sufficient to save lives in cases of fatal anaphylaxis. Investigators noted that data from animal and human studies ...

Read the release

Science9 Oct 2024

Insects from the bodies of illegally hunted rhinoceros may provide valuable forensic information

New research in Medical and Veterinary Entomology reveals that when rhinoceros are found dead after being illegally killed by poachers, analyzing insects on the decomposing body aids in estimating the time since death. This information has been used by investigators and officials to construct cases against suspected perpetrators. The study included 19 rhinoceros that were illegally killed and dehorned in the Republic of South Africa between 2014 and 2021. Scientists collected 74 samples of insect evidence from these rhinoceros remains, ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

Heat stress may still affect babies once born, first evidence suggests

EMBARGOED UNTIL 23:30 UK TIME TUESDAY 8 OCTOBER 2024 Peer-reviewed / Data analysis / People Heat stress may still affect babies once born, first evidence suggests Exposure to high levels of heat may both impact the growth of foetuses during pregnancy and infants up to the age of two, a new analysis suggests. The study is the first of its kind to show that heat stress may impact the development of babies after they’re born and adds to previous research by the team showing the impact of heat stress on foetal development. The research, which examined data from infants and their mothers collected during a clinical trial in ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

Stressed bees lack the buzz in life

Stressed bees are much more likely to make pessimistic choices and lack a buzz in life, new research has revealed. Scientists at Newcastle University, UK, have found that bumblebees have a response to an adverse event resembling human emotions. Findings, published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, show bees reduce their expectations of reward when they are agitated, and this could impact how they approach and pollinate flowers. High and low rewards Researchers trained bees to decide about whether a colour signalled something good or bad. Bees learned to identify ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

Microwave-induced synthesis of bioactive nitrogen heterocycles

Heterocyclic molecules are crucial in the pharmaceutical and materials science industries due to their diverse applications. Nitrogen-containing heterocycles have garnered significant interest for their versatility across various fields. Recent research highlights their importance, making the synthesis of N-heterocycles a key focus in synthetic chemistry, driven by their wide-ranging potential. A recent review published in Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry highlights major advancements in the synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds using microwave-assisted methods. This efficient technique, applicable to both non-catalytic and catalytic ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

Why using a brand nickname in marketing is not a good idea

Researchers from Western University, Stockton University, and University of Massachusetts Amherst published a new Journal of Marketing article that examines if firms benefit from adopting popular nicknames in their branding efforts. The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing, is titled “BMW is Powerful, Beemer is Not: Nickname Branding Impairs Brand Performance” and is authored by Zhe Zhang, Ning Ye, and Matthew Thomson. Many brands have popular nicknames that have become a part of ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

Asymmetric placebo effect in response to spicy food

The expectations humans have of a pleasurable sensation asymmetrically shape neuronal responses and subjective experiences to hot sauce, according to a study published October 8th, in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Yi Luo from East China Normal University, Kenneth Kishida from Wake Forest School of Medicine, U.S., and colleagues. Expectations shape our perception, profoundly influencing how we interpret the world. Positive expectations about sensory stimuli can alleviate distress and reduce pain through what’s ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

Salk Institute’s Nicola Allen receives 2024 NIH Director’s Pioneer Award

LA JOLLA (October 8, 2024)—The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has selected Salk Associate Professor Nicola Allen to receive a 2024 NIH Director’s Pioneer Award. The award recognizes exceptionally creative scientists pursuing highly innovative research and groundbreaking approaches to major challenges in biomedical, behavioral, or social sciences. Allen will receive $3.5 million over five years to support her latest research, which investigates how plasticity in the adult brain could be enhanced. ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

DataSeer and AAAS partner to boost reporting standards

DataSeer and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) are pleased to announce two new pilot programs designed to support high-quality reporting across scientific disciplines. The first will generate pre-filled MDAR reports for authors – saving them time and boosting the quality of methods reporting – for AAAS’ flagship journal Science. The second will establish an Open Science Indicators baseline dataset, quantifying how and when authors at Science share their ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

Mizzou researchers awarded $8 million in grants to discover new bullying prevention strategies

Students don’t have to be friends, but they should be friendly. In other words, they should learn to be respectful of one another while sharing the same space. For Chad Rose, a nationally renowned bullying prevention expert at the University of Missouri, this idea is central to his efforts to reduce school bullying, and in turn, school violence. Bullying is a risk factor for violence, said Rose, the director of Mizzou’s Bully Prevention Lab who has spent the past 18 years researching the subject. “After the Safe Schools initiative was launched in 1999 by the U.S. Department of Education, we began to see that children and teens who have experienced prolonged ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

Study: One-time cooperation decisions unaffected by increased benefits to society

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) challenges long-held assumptions about human cooperation. Traditionally, behavioral scientists and economists have primarily studied cooperation in public good contexts through repeated interactions, where individuals can build trust and reciprocal relationships, adjusting their behavior based on the actions of others. However, many real-world, naturally occurring situations, such as volunteering or donating ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

Shedding light on how tissues grow with sharply defined structures

Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, demonstrate how morphogens combined with cell adhesion can generate tissue domains with a sharp boundary in an in vitro model system. Recent advances that have enabled the growth of tissue cultures into organoids and embryoids have heightened interest as to how tissue growth is controlled during the natural processes of embryo development. It is known that the diffusion of signaling molecules called morphogens directs patterned tissue growth ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

New apps will enable safer indoor navigation for blind people

Two new apps will enable blind people to navigate indoor buildings with spoken directions from a smartphone app, providing a safe method of wayfinding where GPS doesn’t work. UC Santa Cruz professor of Computer Science and Engineering Roberto Manduchi has devoted much of his research career to creating accessible technology for the blind and visually impaired. Throughout years of working with these communities, he has learned that there is a particular need for tools to help with indoor navigation of new spaces. “Moving about independently in a place that you don't know is particularly ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

When it comes to emergency care, ChatGPT overprescribes

Generative AI still needs to find the right balance between too little and too much care before it can help doctors make decisions in the Emergency Department. If ChatGPT were cut loose in the Emergency Department, it might suggest unneeded x-rays and antibiotics for some patients and admit others who didn’t require hospital treatment, a new study from UC San Francisco has found. The researchers said that, while the model could be prompted in ways that make its responses more accurate, it’s still no match for the clinical judgment of a human doctor. “This ...

Read the release

Science8 Oct 2024

Oh my meniscus: age poses risk of further knee injury in children

Growing pains are common in maturing children, but sometimes this growth can be irregular and cause injury. Discoid lateral meniscus (DLM), a misshapen knee cartilage, is one such occurrence that can degenerate into osteochondritis dissecans, a joint disorder where the bone and joint begin to separate from the rest of the bones. It has been reported that osteochondritis dissecans of the femoral condyle occurs in approximately 14.5% of cases of DLM, but there has been little analysis of its treatment to date. Dr. Ken Iida and Specially ...

Read the release

Science7 Oct 2024

Small creatures, big impact

Could the butterfly effect - in which a small change in one state of a system can result in large differences in a later state - also apply to the earth’s oceans, as well as its skies? Some species of zooplankton are on the order of one millimeter, but don’t let their size fool you. It’s possible these small creatures can create quite a wave. While it’s long been understood that large marine animals, like fish or whales, can stir up the ocean’s water columns, the impact ...

Read the release

Science7 Oct 2024

Professor gives American grading system an F

OXFORD, Miss. – America’s obsession with grades is failing students and jeopardizing the future of education, a University of Mississippi professor argues in his new book. Josh Eyler, director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, recently released “Failing Our Future: How Grades Harm Students, and What We Can Do About It” (Johns Hopkins University Press), in which he argues that the traditional system of grading is harmful to students. “This book looks at the issues with grades in learning, the kinds of Issues grades ...

Read the release

Science7 Oct 2024

NIH awards $2.2 million to UMass Amherst to explore new tuberculosis therapies

AMHERST, Mass. – The National Institutes of Health recently awarded $2.2 million to Alissa Rothchild, assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an expert in tuberculosis (TB) immunology, to study the very first cells that respond to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacteria causing TB. How those initial cells, known as alveolar macrophages, or AMs, respond to the bacteria is not entirely known, though Rothchild and her lab have shown in a previous study that AMs don’t respond to Mtb infection the way other macrophages do. Instead of mounting a strong inflammatory response, AMs turn on a cell-protective ...

Read the release

Science7 Oct 2024

First report of its kind describes HIV reservoir landscape in breast milk

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 7 October 2024 @Annalsofim Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent. ---------------------------- 1. First ...

Read the release

Science7 Oct 2024

Gatling conducting digitization project

Benjamin Gatling, Associate Professor, English, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), is set to receive funding for a project in which he will digitize a significant portion of the archive of the Folklore Fund at the Rudaki Institute of Language and Literature in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Gatling aims to train local archive staff in best practices, the preservation of materials, and digitization and metadata creation for the majority of the archive’s holdings, as well as the curation of digitized materials. The archive’s holdings include bound notebooks, notecards, ...

Read the release

Science7 Oct 2024

Regenstrief researcher awarded $1.9 million CDC grant

INDIANAPOLIS -- Jill Inderstrodt, PhD, MPH, has received notification of a five-year, $1.9 million collaborative grant to improve health and the care of people living with congenital heart defects (CHD). Awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr, Inderstrodt will lead a multidisciplinary team from the Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health and the Regenstrief Institute. Also part of the research team is Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, a Regenstrief researcher, Fairbanks School professor and interim director of the Regenstrief Center for Biomedical Informatics. “I am honored to lead this initiative alongside ...

Read the release

Science7 Oct 2024

Wu conducting molecular modeling of DR domain of HIV restriction factor PSGL-1

Yuntao Wu, Professor, Molecular and Microbiology, School of Systems Biology, College of Science, is studying the structure of dicameric repeats (DR) of PSGL-1, a host protein that inhibits HIV virion infectivity. These are repeated stretches of 10 amino acids with numerous O-glycosylated threonines and prolines. Wu and his collaborators hypothesize that the structural rigidity and glycosylation of dicameric repeats affect anti-HIV activity. The researchers have two aims. First, they aim to determine the structure-function of DR. Second, they intend to test and validate the anti-HIV activity of PSGL-1 (P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1) that inactivates ...

Read the release