Science
press releases.

Science17 Sep 2024

‘Scuba-diving’ lizards use bubble to breathe underwater and avoid predators

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Presenting the world’s smallest (and scrappiest) scuba diver: A species of semi-aquatic lizard produces a special bubble over its nostrils to breathe underwater and avoid predators, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. Lindsey Swerk, an assistant research professor of biological sciences at Binghamton University, studies water anoles, a type of semi-aquatic lizard found in the tropical forests of southern Costa Rica. She had previously documented the lizards using a bubble underwater. When these lizards feel threatened by a predator, ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Ancestry-specific genetic variants linked to multiple sclerosis risk, new study shows

A landmark study has uncovered novel ancestry-specific genetic variants linked to multiple sclerosis (MS), offering new insights that could reshape treatment approaches for diverse populations affected by the disease.1 The research, presented today at ECTRIMS 2024, is the result of efforts by the Alliance for Research in Hispanic MS (ARHMS) Consortium and is the first large-scale study to identify ancestry-specific genetic effects for MS risk. In a comprehensive analysis of over 7,000 individuals from self-reported Hispanic (n=4,313; 2,201 MS, 2,112 controls) and African American (n=3,085; 1,584 MS, 1,501 controls) backgrounds, researchers discovered ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Study finds thousands of browser extensions compromise user data

Browser extensions, the software add-ons that help users customize and enhance their web browsers, are wildly popular. Some of the most-used extensions find shopping deals, fix grammar and typos, manage passwords, or translate web pages. The types of extensions available are nearly endless, and many have become indispensable tools for businesses and everyday users. While these extensions can make web browsing more accessible, productive, and rewarding, they are not without risk. New research from Georgia Tech reveals that thousands of browser extensions pose significant threats to privacy, and hundreds automatically ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

A smoother way to study ‘twistronics’

A discovery six years ago took the condensed-matter physics world by storm: Ultra-thin carbon stacked in two slightly askew layers became a superconductor, and changing the twist angle between layers could toggle their electrical properties. The landmark 2018 paper describing “magic-angle graphene superlattices” launched a new field called “twistronics,” and the first author was then-MIT graduate student and recent Harvard Junior Fellow Yuan Cao. Together with Harvard physicists Amir ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Shrinking the pint can reduce beer sales by almost 10%

Reducing the serving size for beer, lager and cider reduces the volume of those drinks consumed in pubs, bars and restaurants, and could be a useful alcohol control measure, according to research published September 17th in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. Theresa Marteau and colleagues at the University of Cambridge, UK, found that over a short intervention period, venues that removed the pint and offered two third pints instead, sold 10% less beer by volume compared with when pints were available. When wine by the glass is offered in smaller servings, the amount sold ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Two common surgeries equally effective for treating blinding condition of the eyelid

Trachomatous trichiasis, a potentially blinding condition where inward-turned eyelashes scratch the front of the eye, can successfully be treated by either of the two most common types of eyelid surgery, according to findings from a large comparison trial funded by the National Institutes of Health. In light of previous, smaller studies, which suggested that one of the commonly used surgery types had poorer outcomes, this study provides reassurance that either technique can treat the condition. The study, published in PLOS Neglected ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Central America could play troubling new role in cocaine trade

COLUMBUS, Ohio – For many decades, the coca plant – the main ingredient in cocaine – has been grown almost exclusively in South America. But a new study shows that nearly half of northern Central America appears to be highly suitable for cultivating this lucrative cash crop. Findings showed that 47% of Honduras, Guatemala and Belize have the right climate and soil for commercial coca growing. Most of southern Central America was not suitable. It’s not a hypothetical concern. Researchers began ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Norwegian Afghanistan veterans more prone to anger

From 2001 to 2021, roughly 9200 Norwegian soldiers served in Afghanistan. The vast majority of them have managed well in the years that have followed. According to a new survey conducted by the Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Medical Services, however, a significant number of the veterans struggle with mental health issues. “All Norwegian veterans who served in Afghanistan were invited to participate in a large health survey in 2020,” says Associate Professor Andreas Espetvedt Nordstrand at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Amsterdam UMC led research sets a step forward in the battle against MRSA

Staphylococcus aureus, mostly known from its antibiotic-resistant variant Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is among the leading causes of both community- and hospital-acquired infections. According to the most recent data, MRSA killed around 120,000 people in 2022 globally and far more are killed by antibiotic-susceptible strains of S. aureus. So far however, all attempts at developing a protective vaccine for S. aureus have been unsuccessful. Research from Amsterdam UMC, in collaboration with UMC Utrecht, Leiden University, and the University of California, San Diego, have discovered an important immune component that offers protection against infection, ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

How an MBA can empower entrepreneurs

Many leading entrepreneurs have questioned the value of investing in an MBA if you want to run a successful start-up. But a recent survey conducted with members of the INSEAD community shows that going to business school can help ensure that any entrepreneurial scheme has a better chance of achieving greater impact and long-term success. According to the INSEAD Alumni Entrepreneurship Report 2024, 73 percent of the INSEAD students and graduates surveyed embarked on entrepreneurial activities following their time at the global business school. More than ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Lupus Research Alliance announces recipients of 2024 Diversity in Lupus Research Awards

New York, NY. September 17. The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Career Development and Postdoctoral Awards to Promote Diversity in Lupus Research. Launched in 2021, the Diversity in Lupus Research (DLR) Awards aim to foster the development and productivity of exceptional early-career and postdoctoral scientists from underrepresented minority groups in science. Lupus is a debilitating autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and Asian/Pacific Islander people. The LRA inaugurated the DLR Awards three years ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Juan Jimenez named Blavatnik Regional Awards finalist

UPTON, N.Y. — The Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences have recognized chemical engineer Juan Jimenez as a Finalist in the 2024 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists. Jimenez’s catalysis science research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory opens doors for turning climate change-driving gases into industrially useful materials. The yearly honor is awarded to distinguished early career researchers at institutions in ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Nine outstanding postdoctoral scholars for the 2024 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists announced

NEW YORK – September 17, 2024 – The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences today announced the three Laureates and six Finalists of the 2024 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists. The Awards honor outstanding postdoctoral scientists from academic research institutions across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The Blavatnik Regional Awards jury, consisting of distinguished scientists and engineers, selected one Laureate in each category who will receive a $30,000 unrestricted prize and two Finalists in each category who will be awarded $10,000 ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

People underestimate the income of the top 1%

People selectively underestimate how rich the world’s richest people are, according to a study. Increasing income inequality in many countries is driven by steep gains among the top 1% of earners. In the United States, support for policies that would redistribute wealth has not increased since the 1970s, even as the share of incomes held by the top 1% of Americans jumped from 10% to 19%. Barnabas Szaszi and colleagues conducted four studies to explore how well people understand the wealth held by others. In one study, 990 US residents ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Police body-camera footage as data

A study uses body-worn camera footage as a source of data on police-community interactions. Nicholas Camp and colleagues analyzed transcripts from 615 police stops made in California by Oakland Police Department police officers before and after a procedural justice training, which focused on officer communication in routine traffic stops. The training included findings by the authors in a previous study that showed officers used more respectful language with White drivers than with Black drivers during traffic stops. The training ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Identifying body-scan postures suitable for people with hyperactivity tendency

ADHD is a developmental condition of brain with symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity. People with ADHD lack the ability of self-control and experience anxiety, depression, academic failure, and low self-confidence. These symptoms can be alleviated by a holistic approach such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. These practices encourage patients to pay attention to the present moment with purpose and without judgment. However, these practices involving meditation require sitting in certain postures which can be challenging for patients with high ADHD tendency. To address this, ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

New understanding of the limits on nano-noise

Thanks to nanoscale devices as small as human cells, researchers can create groundbreaking material properties, leading to smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient electronics. However, to fully unlock the potential of nanotechnology, addressing noise is crucial. A research team at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, has taken a significant step toward unraveling fundamental constraints on noise, paving the way for future nanoelectronics. Nanotechnology is rapidly advancing, capturing ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Graphite oxidation experiments reveal new type of oscillating chemical reaction

A reaction that puzzled scientists for 50 years has now been explained by researchers at Umeå University. Rapid structural snapshots captured how graphite transforms into graphite oxide during electrochemical oxidation, revealing intermediate structures that appear and disappear over time. The researchers describe this as a new type of oscillating reaction. Oscillating chemical reactions are fascinating to watch and important for developing an understanding of how complex systems work, both in chemistry and in nature. Classical visual examples of such reactions show how the colors of a solution change back and forth, cycling ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Researchers take power and efficiency of biological sensing to record level

University of Arizona researchers have developed a new biological sensing method that can detect substances at the zeptomolar level – an astonishingly miniscule amount. This level of sensing, immediately useful for drug testing and other research, has the potential to make new drug discoveries possible. Eventually, the advance could lead to portable sensors that can detect environmental toxins or chemical weapons, monitor food quality or screen for cancer. A paper describing the results was published in the journal Nature Communications on Aug. 28. Judith Su, associate professor of biomedical engineering and optical ...

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Science17 Sep 2024

Widespread evidence for packaging-related chemicals in humans

About this study: A new review is the first to reveal the extent of human exposure to food contact chemicals (FCC), with 3,601 chemicals used in food packaging and other food contact articles having been found in human bodies. The authors say this review also highlights significant gaps in biomonitoring and toxicity data. --- In a new study, published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, scientists describe the widespread human exposure to food contact chemicals (FCCs). The research reveals which chemicals ...

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Science16 Sep 2024

Chances of successful pregnancy are the same with embryo transfer on day three or five

In IVF treatment, embryos are traditionally transferred in the uterus three days after fertilization. Due to improvements in laboratory techniques, this is now also possible after five days. It was assumed that this increases the chance of a successful pregnancy. A study by Radboud university medical center and Amsterdam UMC shows that the day of transfer does not influence the success rate of the IVF trajectory. One out of thirty children in the Netherlands is conceived via in vitro fertilization, or IVF for short. In this procedure, ...

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Science16 Sep 2024

Lower neighborhood opportunity may increase risk for preterm birth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, September 16, 2024 Contact: Jillian McKoy, jpmckoy@bu.edu Michael Saunders, msaunder@bu.edu ## Lower Neighborhood Opportunity May Increase Risk for Preterm Birth A new study suggests that neighborhoods with fewer educational, health, environmental, and socioeconomic resources may increase one’s risk for preterm birth and contribute to the racial gap in preterm birth in the Commonwealth. Preterm birth, defined as a live birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy, is the second-leading cause of infant mortality in the United States, and one that disproportionately affects Black and ...

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Science16 Sep 2024

Analysis finds cardiac devices recalled for safety reasons infrequently subjected to premarket or postmarket testing

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 16 September 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. ...

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Science16 Sep 2024

Introducing SandAI: A tool for scanning sand grains that opens windows into recent time and the deep past

Stanford researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-based tool – dubbed SandAI – that can reveal the history of quartz sand grains going back hundreds of millions of years. With SandAI, researchers can tell with high accuracy if wind, rivers, waves, or glacial movements shaped and deposited motes of sand. The tool gives researchers a unique window into the past for geological and archeological studies, especially for eras and environments where few other clues, such as fossils, are preserved ...

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Science16 Sep 2024

Scientists mix sky’s splendid hues to reset circadian clocks

Those mesmerizing blue and orange hues in the sky at the start and end of a sunny day might have an essential role in setting humans’ internal clocks. In new research from the University of Washington in Seattle, a novel LED light that emits alternating wavelengths of orange and blue outpaced two other light devices in advancing melatonin levels in a small group of study participants. Published in the Journal of Biological Rhythms, the finding appears to establish a new benchmark in humans’ ability to influence their circadian rhythms, and reflects an effective new approach to counteract seasonal affective disorder (SAD). A ...

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