Science
press releases.

Science3 Oct 2024

New MSU research sheds light on impact and bias of voter purging in Michigan

MSU has a satellite uplink/LTN TV studio and Comrex line for radio interviews upon request. Images and Podcast EAST LANSING, Mich. – In recent years, some states have prioritized purging their voter rolls of those who have passed away or moved out of state. During election season, there is often increased discussion about the necessity and impact of these actions. Voter purging can be an important step for creating election integrity, but others have raised concerns about how the process is conducted and who it targets. So, are there negative effects of voter purging? Researchers from Michigan State University wanted to find out — especially ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

Scientists develop novel method for strengthening PVC products

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Researchers have developed a way to make one type of plastic material more durable and less likely to shed dangerous microplastics. The study identified a secure way to attach chemical additives to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Found in everything from toys, construction supplies and medical packaging, PVC plastics currently rank third among the most used plastics worldwide. Despite its widespread use, pure PVC is brittle and sensitive to heat, and manufacturers can only utilize it after stabilizing its properties with other chemicals. However, these additives, or plasticizers, ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

Do MPH programs prepare graduates for employment in today's market? Mostly yes, but who is hiring may be surprising

Public health degree programs provide key competencies demanded by employers, but graduate employability could be improved by using more real-time data from employer job postings, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. This could help public health schools and programs ensure that graduates obtain specific technical skills listed in job postings, meet current employer needs, and prepare graduates for the demands of today’s labor market. The findings are published in the American Journal of Public Health. The competencies required for the ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

New article provides orientation to using implementation science in policing

Since the 2020 murder by Minneapolis police of George Floyd brought nationwide calls for change amid concerns that prevailing practices were not grounded in evidence and created harm, policing has been in turmoil. Implementation science (IS) involves integrating effective and evidence-based innovations into routine practice in fields like health care. Yet despite its potential, IS—and specifically, evidence-based policing (EBP)—remain vastly understudied and unused in police settings. In a new article, researchers provide an orientation to these issues ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

Three beer-related discoveries to celebrate Oktoberfest

Frothy or smooth, bitter or sweet, light or dark: There’s a beer for most palates. As people around the world pour over the best brews at Oktoberfest celebrations or ferment about their favorite fall-themed beers, three papers published in ACS journals crack open new insights into these beverages. And if you’re hop-ing to conduct studies to find which beer is good for what ales you, please drink responsibly. Reporters can request free access to these papers by emailing newsroom@acs.org. Coriander’s origin changes beer flavor. Just like simmering a stew, brewing a beer with herbs and spices can enhance its flavor. A study in ACS Food Science ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

AAAS launches user research project to inform the new AAAS.org

Washington, D.C. — The American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the world’s largest general scientific societies and publisher of the Science family of journals, announces an external research project to help the organization reimagine AAAS.org as part of a website overhaul project, which recently kicked off. AAAS is seeking input from its key audiences, including reporters and public information officers, to better align the experience and content of the website. As AAAS embarks on the next ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

Decline of mpox antibody responses after modified vaccinia Ankara–Bavarian Nordic vaccination

About The Study: The modified vaccinia Ankara–Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccination generated mpox antibodies that waned by 6 to 12 months. In participants who received 2 doses of MVA-BN vaccine, mpox antibody responses at 12 months were comparable to or lower than peak antibody responses in people receiving 1 dose, which provided limited protection. Quote from corresponding author Dan H. Barouch, MD, PhD: “In this observational study, we show that mpox antibody responses decline 6-12 months following Jynneos (MVA-BN) vaccination. Our data suggest that protective immunity may ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

Strong coupling between Andreev qubits mediated by a microwave resonator

Quantum communication and quantum computing operate based on quantum bits (qubits) as the smallest unit of information — related to bits in a classical computer. Of the many different approaches currently being investigated around the world, one promising option is to use Andreev pair qubits. These qubits are formed at interfaces between a metal and a superconductor in a process known as Andreev reflection. Here, an electron from the metal enters the superconductor, where it becomes part of an electron pair (a Cooper pair) — while a hole, ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

UNF biological sciences professor receives NIH grant to study muscle atrophy

Jacksonville, Fla. – A University of North Florida biology professor has been awarded a prestigious four-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant totaling over $720K to study the functional role of an enzyme called dual-specificity phosphatase 4 (Dusp4) in skeletal muscle atrophy. Dr. David Waddell’s NIH-funded research project will help contribute to knowledge about skeletal muscle atrophy associated with neuromuscular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and aging. Skeletal muscle atrophy is a decrease in muscle mass that occurs when protein degradation exceeds protein ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

UTEP study: Zooplankton go “Eew!” to cleaning feces contaminated water

EL PASO, Texas (Oct. 3, 2024) – Scientists at The University of Texas at El Paso and Stanford University were recently surprised to find that the natural community of zooplankton — tiny, aquatic animals known to graze on bacteria — present in freshwater and saltwater do not clean water that is contaminated with fecal microorganisms. The research, published today in the biology journal mSphere, reveals important insights about the limitations of zooplankton in treating bodies of water that have been contaminated with fecal organisms, the team said. A 2017 U.S. water quality inventory ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

FAU awarded $10M to train people with disabilities for in-demand tech jobs

The rising demand for tech jobs presents an outstanding opportunity for growth and inclusivity in the industry. Developing accessible training programs tailored for individuals with disabilities can foster a more diverse workforce. Florida Atlantic University’s College of Education and the College of Engineering and Computer Science have received a $9,961,460 grant from the United States Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to increase the capacity and participation of transition-age youths and working-age adults with disabilities in high demand technology jobs locally and nationally. ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

Plants have a backup plan

Tending a garden is hard work. Imagine it from the plants’ perspective. Each relies on fine-tuned genetic processes to pass down accurate copies of chromosomes to future generations. These processes sometimes involve billions of moving parts. Even the tiniest disruption can have a cascading effect. So, for plants like Arabidopsis thaliana, it’s good to have a backup plan. “Chromosomes have to be accurately partitioned every time a cell divides,” explains Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professor and HHMI Investigator Rob Martienssen. “For that to happen, each chromosome has ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

Logic with light

Increasingly complex applications such as artificial intelligence require ever more powerful and power-hungry computers to run. Optical computing is a proposed solution to increase speed and power efficiency but has yet to be realized due to constraints and drawbacks. A new design architecture, called diffraction casting, seeks to address these shortcomings. It introduces some concepts to the field of optical computing that might make it more appealing for implementation in next-generation computing devices. Whether ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

Oyster reefs once thrived along Europe’s coasts – now they’re gone

Oysters once formed extensive reefs along much of Europe's coastline – but these complex ecosystems were destroyed over a century ago, new research shows. Based on documents from the 18th and 19th Centuries, the study reveals that European flat oysters formed large reefs of both living and dead shells, providing a habitat supporting rich biodiversity. Today these oysters are mostly found as scattered individuals – but the researchers found evidence of reefs almost everywhere, from Norway to the Mediterranean, covering at least 1.7 million hectares, an area larger than Northern Ireland. The research was ...

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Science3 Oct 2024

How Soviet legacy has influenced foreign policy in Georgia and Ukraine

The legacy of the Soviet Union’s collapse plays a greater role in the foreign policies of Georgia and Ukraine than previous studies have suggested. Conducting foreign policy in former Soviet countries can be a major challenge as the Russian state does not accept the new order. These are the findings outlined in the thesis of political scientist Per Ekman from Uppsala University. “To understand Russia’s war in Ukraine, for example, it is important to see the war as part of a longer historical event. Since their first day of independence, Georgia and Ukraine have had to deal with Russian ambitions to control the region. For many in the West, it took a ...

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Science2 Oct 2024

Study reveals limits of using land surface temperature to explain heat hazards in Miami-Dade County

Study Reveals Limits of Using Land Surface Temperature to Explain Heat Hazards in Miami-Dade County The findings underscore the importance of further research to enhance our understanding of urban heat dynamics in subtropical and tropical regions, ensuring that heat mitigation efforts are informed by the most accurate data available. A recent study published in the journal PLOS Climate on October 2, 2024, examines the effectiveness of using land surface temperatures (LSTs) as proxies for ...

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Science2 Oct 2024

One million people who never regularly smoked now vape in England

The number of adults vaping in England who have never regularly smoked has increased sharply since 2021, when disposable e-cigarettes first became popular, according to a new study by UCL researchers. The study, published in Lancet Public Health and funded by Cancer Research UK, estimated that, as of April 2024, about one million adults who had never regularly smoked now vaped in England, a sevenfold increase since 2021, with most of them vaping daily and over a sustained period. This increase was largely driven by young adults, ...

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Science2 Oct 2024

Early foster care gave poor women power, 17th-century records reveal

UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL 00:01 AM (UK TIME) ON THURSDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2024 A rare collection of 300-year-old petitions gives voice to the forgotten women who cared for England’s most vulnerable children while battling their local authorities. ‘Confirm the said yearly annuity or otherwise the child is very like to be famished & starved’ – Ellen Fell (1665) 'Taking pity of them for fear they should be starved to death for want of food [I] did table & receive the said three Children' - Anne Beesley (1671) Today, the UK faces a major retention ...

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Science2 Oct 2024

Unpacking polar sea ice

Polar sea ice is ever-changing. It shrinks, expands, moves, breaks apart, reforms in response to changing seasons, and rapid climate change. It is far from a homogenous layer of frozen water on the ocean’s surface, but rather a dynamic mix of water and ice, as well as minute pockets of air and brine encased in the ice. New research led by University of Utah mathematicians and climate scientists is generating fresh models for understanding two critical processes in the sea ice system that have profound influences on global climate: the flux of heat through sea ice, thermally linking the ocean and atmosphere, and the dynamics of the ...

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Science2 Oct 2024

People infer the past better than the future, study finds

If you started watching a movie from the middle without knowing its plot, you’d likely be better at inferring what had happened earlier than predicting what will happen next, according to a new Dartmouth-led study published in Nature Communications. Prior research has found that humans are usually equally good at guessing about the unknown past and future. However, those studies have relied on very simple sequences of numbers, images, or shapes, rather than on more realistic scenarios. "Events in real life have complex associations relating to time that haven't typically been captured in past work, so we wanted to explore how people make inferences ...

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Science2 Oct 2024

Sexual and gender minorities more likely to experience life dissatisfaction, isolation, stress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, October 2, 2024 Contact: Jillian McKoy, jpmckoy@bu.edu Michael Saunders, msaunder@bu.edu ## Sexual and Gender Minorities More Likely to Experience Life Dissatisfaction, Isolation, Stress A new study found that sexual and gender minority adults in the US were more likely to report multiple social risk factors than heterosexual and cisgender adults, highlighting the need for policies that advance the health and socioeconomic well-being of these groups. Until last year, few national surveys collected information about the prevalence of social risk factors—individual-level adverse experiences such as food insecurity ...

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Science2 Oct 2024

“Nature-First Cities”, a new book explores how to invite nature back home, without evicting people

A new book from Cam Brewer, Herb Hammond and SFU Resource and Environmental Management director, Sean Markey explores a nature-directed approach to stewardship that enhances cities, restores our relationships with nature and helps to rebuild our relationships with each other. Situated in the understanding that both people and nature belong in urban spaces, and guided by principles of nature, equity and density, Nature- First Cities offers a vision for reestablishing our relationship with nature in cities. This book is of particular interest to urban planners, ...

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Science2 Oct 2024

Satisfying friendships could be key for young, single adults’ happiness

A new analysis assesses the heterogeneity of factors linked with happiness among single Americans who are just entering adulthood, highlighting a particularly strong link between happiness and satisfying friendships. Lisa Walsh of the University of California, Los Angeles, U.S., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on October 2, 2024. Prior research suggests that Americans in their early 20s may be less happy, on average, than at other points in their lives. Meanwhile, a growing percentage of young adults are not in long-term romantic relationships, and researchers are increasingly studying single people as a distinct ...

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Science2 Oct 2024

Wild banana relatives of mainland Southeast Asia reveal hidden diversity and the urgent need to preserve nature’s genetic resources for future crops

Wild banana relatives of mainland Southeast Asia reveal hidden diversity and the urgent need to preserve nature’s genetic resources for future crops ### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0307592 Article Title: Musa species in mainland Southeast Asia: From wild to domesticate Author Countries: France, U.S., Vietnam, Lao P.D.R., China Funding: This study was funded by the Sud Expert Plantes Développement Durable programme through the DivBa SEP2D project (AAP3-97) and the BforBB open science project supported by the Agropolis Fondation under the reference ID 1605-011 through the “Investissements ...

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Science2 Oct 2024

A century of data uncovers how chestnut blight has devastated the American chestnut - and how forest composition has evolved since - in Shenanoah National Park, Virginia

A century of data uncovers how chestnut blight has devastated the American chestnut - and how forest composition has evolved since - in Shenanoah National Park, Virginia ### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0306748 Article Title: Floristic changes following the chestnut blight may be delayed for decades Author Countries: U.S. Funding: We were funded by the Washington Biologists’ Field Club. This is a small organization that gives out only a few small awards each year. We do not have a specific grant number associated with this award. ...

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