Science
press releases.

Science5 Aug 2024

Sex bias in pain management at emergency departments new study reveals

New study reveals a significant sex bias in pain management at emergency departments, showing that female patients are consistently less likely to receive pain medication prescriptions compared to male patients with similar complaints. This bias persists across different ages, pain levels, and physician sex, indicating a systemic issue. Female patients' pain scores are less frequently recorded, and they spend more time in the emergency department than male patients. The findings highlight the need for urgent policy interventions and training for healthcare ...

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Science5 Aug 2024

Horse miscarriages offer clues to causes of early human pregnancy loss

ITHACA, N.Y. – A study of horses – which share many important similarities with humans in their chromosomes and pregnancies – revealed that 42% of miscarriages and spontaneous abortions in the first two months of pregnancy were due to complications from an extra set of chromosomes, a condition called triploidy. “Over that embryonic period [up to eight weeks from conception], triploidy had rarely been reported in mammals outside of women,” said Mandi de Mestre, professor of equine medicine at Cornell University. “The study tells us that over the first six weeks ...

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Science5 Aug 2024

Air quality regimes around the world are playing catch up as science evolves and policy ambitions are too blunt, researchers say

The failure to co-ordinate legal, policy and scientific thinking risks “a squandering of opportunity” to improve air quality, concludes new environmental law research, co-led by a UCL academic. In their Science paper, ‘Harnessing science, policy and law to deliver clean air’, Professors Eloise Scotford (UCL Faculty of Laws), Alastair Lewis (University of York) and Delphine Misonne (UCLouvain Saint-Louis, Brussels) review recent research and highlight significant risks to achieving clean air globally. Despite significant achievements in air quality law and policy in some parts of the world ...

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Science5 Aug 2024

In law enforcement, a link between head injuries and depression, PTSD

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study is the first to shed light on the high prevalence of head injuries, and related mental health symptoms, in a previously overlooked population when it comes to concussion surveillance: law enforcement officers. The survey of Ohio law enforcement officers found that 74% reported a lifetime history of one or more head injuries, and 30% had a head injury that happened on the job. Many more of these injuries went unreported than were treated by a health care professional. And further analysis showed post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive symptoms were higher in those who had experienced one or more head injuries. “This ...

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Science5 Aug 2024

Nature's design marvel: How shark skin's denticles adapt to wide speed

New findings on how sharks achieve drag reduction could inspire the design of riblets for more efficient aircraft and boats. In their investigation of great white shark denticles, researchers from Tokyo Tech found that ridge height and spacing play crucial roles in drag reduction at different swimming speeds. Higher middle ridges aid sharks in efficient cruising at slower speeds, while the lower side ridges become more critical for drag reduction during high-speed hunting bursts. The analysis also suggests that the speeds of an extinct giant ...

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Science5 Aug 2024

Don't drink raw milk. But what about raw milk cheese? (video)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2024 — A lot of people on the internet have been telling our host Alex to drink raw milk. This is a bad idea — a particularly bad one actually. So she wanted to make a video about why it’s such a bad idea to consume raw milk, then she realized she’s been eating raw milk without even knowing it via cheese. That’s when things got complicated. Reactions is a video series produced by the American Chemical Society and PBS Digital Studios. Subscribe to Reactions and follow us on X, formerly Twitter @ACSReactions. The American Chemical Society ...

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Science5 Aug 2024

Does transparency help or hurt businesses dominated by one-time transactions

DALLAS (SMU) – It’s a relevant question for business owners with few repeat customers, such as contract workers or real estate agents: Does being transparent about past business transactions change the odds of making a sale that benefits both buyer and seller? The answer matters because mutually beneficial sales ensure that these kinds of transactions will continue, keeping the economy strong. A new study published in the journal American Economic Review suggests the answer depends on a variety of factors. A mutually beneficial sale is defined from two points of view: The seller values the money they receive more than ...

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Science5 Aug 2024

Estimated exposure to 6 potentially hepatotoxic botanicals in U.S. adults

About The Study: In this survey study, an estimated 15.6 million U.S. adults consumed at least one botanical product with liver liability within the past 30 days, comparable with the number of people who consumed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and a commonly prescribed hypolipidemic drug. Turmeric was most frequently reported, followed in order by green tea, ashwagandha, Garcinia cambogia, red yeast rice, and black cohosh products. Given a lack of regulatory oversight on the manufacturing and testing of botanical products, clinicians should be aware of possible adverse events from consumption of ...

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Science5 Aug 2024

Sometimes it hurts to think

If somebody complains that it hurts to think, they may be onto something, as mental exertion appears to be associated with unpleasant feelings in many situations, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. “Managers often encourage employees, and teachers often encourage students, to exert mental effort. On the surface, this seems to work well: Employees and students do often opt for mentally challenging activities,” said senior author Erik Bijleveld, PhD, of Radboud University. “From this, you may be tempted to conclude that ...

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Science5 Aug 2024

Study analyzes potato-pathogen ‘arms race’ after Irish famine

In an examination of the genetic material found in historic potato leaves, North Carolina State University researchers reveal more about the tit-for-tat evolutionary changes occurring in both potato plants and the pathogen that caused the 1840s Irish potato famine. The study used a targeted enrichment sequencing approach to simultaneously examine both the plant’s resistance genes and the pathogen’s effector genes – genes that help it infect hosts – in a first-of-its-kind analysis. “We use small pieces of historic leaves with the pathogen ...

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Science5 Aug 2024

State-level, out-of-pocket insulin caps do not substantially increase utilization, study finds

AURORA, Colo. (August 5, 2024) – In a first-of-its-kind study, a cohort of researchers, led by the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, evaluated the effects of state-level insulin out-of-pocket costs across states and payers and over time. The team found that state-level caps on insulin out-of-pocket costs do not significantly increase insulin claims for patients with Type 1 or patients using insulin to manage Type 2 diabetes. Study results could help inform policies aimed at better delivering cost-capped insulin to patients struggling with insulin affordability. Approximately ...

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Science5 Aug 2024

Streetlights running all night makes leaves so tough that insects can’t eat them, threatening the food chain

Light pollution disrupts circadian rhythms and ecosystems worldwide – but for plants, dependent on light for photosynthesis, its effects could be profound. Now scientists writing in Frontiers in Plant Science have found that exposure to high levels of artificial light at night makes tree leaves grow tougher and harder for insects to eat, threatening urban food chains. “We noticed that, compared to natural ecosystems, tree leaves in most urban ecosystems generally show little sign of insect damage. We were curious as to why,” said corresponding author Dr Shuang Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “Here we show that in ...

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Science3 Aug 2024

Sex chromosomes may reduce “sexual conflict” during evolution

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have taken a big step in solving the mystery around why animals evolve sex chromosomes. It had long been proposed that sex chromosomes evolve to reduce “sexual conflict,” the evolution of features which are sub-optimal for either sex. By using fruit flies, the team showed that genes on newly formed neo-sex chromosomes in fruit flies tend to evolve “sex-biased genes” which give sex-specific phenotypes. Chromosomes are neatly packaged bundles of DNA that carry all the genetic material of an organism. While prokaryotes ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

What researchers know about the genetic complexity of schizophrenia, to date

Patrick Sullivan, MD, FRANZCP, the Yeargan Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Genetics at the UNC School of Medicine, and researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, have developed a comprehensive outline of the genetics of schizophrenia. The review was published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience. Schizophrenia is a neuropsychiatric disorder featuring recurrent episodes of psychosis – such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking – with many patients developing apathy, social withdrawal, ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

Research spotlight: Uncovering the links between sleep struggles, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts in teens with depression

Rebecca Robbins, PhD, of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is the senior author of a paper published in Psychiatry Research, “Exploring sleep difficulties, alcohol, illicit drugs, and suicidal ideation among adolescents with a history of depression.” How would you summarize your study for a lay audience? Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for adolescents in the U.S. We know, due to previous research, that difficulty falling asleep or waking up too early as well as abuse of prescription ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

Boosting children’s voices could help to relieve significant backlogs in the family court, study says

Giving children a right to be heard and taken seriously when parents separate could help couples reach sustainable child arrangements and relieve significant backlogs in the family court, avoiding unnecessary financial and emotional costs, a new study says. Mediation, court and legal processes should provide a forum for young people’s views on post-separation arrangements being considered for them to be aired independently and factored in wherever appropriate. Giving them more agency about decisions which affect their lives and futures will help families make more effective ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

Study yields new insights into the link between global warming and rising sea levels

A McGill-led study suggests that Earth's natural forces could substantially reduce Antarctica’s impact on rising sea levels, but only if carbon emissions are swiftly reduced in the coming decades. By the same token, if emissions continue on the current trajectory, Antarctic ice loss could lead to more future sea level rise than previously thought. The finding is significant because the Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest ice mass on Earth, and the biggest uncertainty in predicting future sea levels is how this ice will respond to climate change. “With nearly 700 million people living in coastal areas and the potential ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

Improving cat food flavors with the help of feline taste-testers

Cats are notoriously picky eaters. But what if we could design their foods around flavors that they’re scientifically proven to enjoy? Researchers publishing in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry used a panel of feline taste-testers to identify favored flavor compounds in a series of chicken-liver-based sprays. The cats particularly enjoyed the sprays that contained more free amino acids, which gave their kibble more savory and fatty flavors. Cats have a more acute sense of smell than humans, and the aroma of their food plays a big role in whether they’ll eat or snub what their owner serves for dinner. Feline palates are also more sensitive to umami ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

Feeling judged by your doctor? You might be right

When an individual visits their doctor, they aren’t supposed to keep secrets. Unless patients are forthcoming about their symptoms, behaviors, and health-related beliefs, it’s hard for healthcare professionals to effectively diagnose and treat illnesses—or to advise and educate patients about how to take better care of themselves in the future. There’s only one problem: new research from Stevens Institute of Technology shows that many people believe they may be judged if they share mistaken beliefs with their care team—and that doctors really do take strongly negative views of patients who disclose incorrect ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

How America’s elites may hold the key to lowering murder rates

COLUMBUS, Ohio – New crime laws, police funding and similar efforts may have some effect on homicide rates in the United States – but the biggest impact will come from the actions of our political and economic elites. That’s the conclusion of historian Randolph Roth, author of the 2009 book American Homicide, in a new report he wrote for the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. Roth, who is a professor of history at The Ohio State University, provides evidence that homicide rates are linked to how citizens feel about the legitimacy of government and their sense of connectedness ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

Prescription fills for semaglutide products

About The Study: The number of prescriptions filled for semaglutide has increased substantially, reaching 2.6 million prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies by December 2023. While Ozempic persistently accounted for most semaglutide fills, increases were considerably greater for Wegovy since its approval for weight loss in June 2021. These increases, which primarily occurred following increased awareness of weight-loss benefits in late 2022, are likely contributing to the FDA-reported shortage of Ozempic and Wegovy first issued in March 2022. Despite the disproportionate burden of obesity in Medicaid and Medicare Part D populations, and recent increases in public spending ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

Safety and risk assessment of no-prescription online semaglutide purchases

About The Study: This qualitative study found that semaglutide products are actively being sold without prescription by illegal online pharmacies, with vendors shipping unregistered and falsified products. Two websites evaluated were sent FDA warning letters for unlawful sale of unapproved and misbranded semaglutide. U.S. poison centers have reported a 1500% increase in calls related to semaglutide, highlighting the need for enhanced pharmacovigilance including for online sourcing harms. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Tim K. Mackey, MAS, PhD, email tkmackey@ucsd.edu. To ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

What gave the first molecules their stability?

The origins of life remain a major mystery. How were complex molecules able to form and remain intact for prolonged periods without disintegrating? A team at ORIGINS, a Munich-based Cluster of Excellence, has demonstrated a mechanism that could have enabled the first RNA molecules to stabilize in the primordial soup. When two RNA strands combine, their stability and lifespan increase significantly. In all likelihood, life on Earth began in water, perhaps in a tide pool that was cut off from seawater at low tide but flooded by waves at high tide. Over billions of years, complex molecules like DNA, RNA and proteins ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

NWSL add lifesavers to the chain of survival in New York City

NEW YORK CITY, August 2, 2024 — According to American Heart Association data, nine out of every ten people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. That is why the American Heart Association and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) brought cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training to NWSL staff at the New York headquarters office located on Madison ...

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Science2 Aug 2024

More pets relinquished to shelters due to housing insecurity

Housing policies may be becoming more pet inclusive, but housing insecurity is getting worse, finds a new study that examined the housing issues that led to owners turning their pets over to an animal shelter. “Over the duration of the study, instances of animals entering shelters due to loss of housing rose, while those due to pet restrictions and landlord conflicts declined,” said the study’s lead author Jennifer Applebaum, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Global Health in the University ...

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